Just so we don’t forget that Sam Raimi has moved on from Spider-Man, Disney has just released the poster art from Oz the Great and Powerful (March 8, 2013).
It’s beautifully iconic and evocative of both Baum and the masterful ’39 movie (Raimi’s all-time favorite). Produced by Joe Roth (Alice in Wonderland, Snow White and the Huntsman); exec produced by Grant Curtis, Philip Steuer, Palak Patel; scripted by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire.
It’s an origin story about carnival barker Oscar Diggs (James Franco) forced to flee dusty Kansas and lands in the wonderful Land of Oz, where he thinks he’ll strike it rich.
That is, until he confronts three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz), and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who find his claims of wizardry dubious.
Except it lacks Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Margaret Hamilton, Billy Burke, a musical score and heart. Oops.
And what about Elphaba? Yeah, Disney has its hands full on this one, basing a movie on books people haven’t read in about 80 years and ignoring the only successful retelling of Oz since 1939. Once again, oops.