Rumors
It's still in the early stages of development, but it looks like there's a new film version of The Wizard of Oz in the works — in India. It will be done as a Bollywood musical in Hindi. More on this as it develops.
Alpine Pictures (http://www.alpinepix.com) has signed a deal to make several movies based on the books of Roger S. Baum. The first is scheduled to be Dorothy of Oz.
Another author trying to turn his Oz story into a movie? Geoff Ryman appears to be shopping Was around...
I've also heard about American McGee turning his Oz video game into a movie. I would be more prone to believe this will actually happen if the video game is ever released as well.
In recent years, there have been proposals for other Oz projects, none of which now appear that they will get off the ground. Among them:
Lost in Oz, a series that was to feature Melissa George as a Kansas university student who is whisked to Oz sixty years after the events of The Wizard of Oz and helping to spearhead a rebellion against the new Wicked Witch of the West. Although developed for the WB and a pilot film produced, it was never picked up, nor the pilot shown. (But keep an eye out on auction sites, as a bootleg DVD sometimes shows up...)
A telelvision miniseries based on Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked, with Demi Moore in the title role. (There are stories that the people developing this version later pushed their involvement into the musical version now playing on Broadway and touring North America.)
The O. Z., a hip-hop flavored re-telling of The Wizard of Oz for Fox. Among the rumored Dorothy's at one point were Brandy, Mya, and the late Aaliyah. Justin Timberlake, John Leuizamo, and Little Richard were mentioned for other parts.
Surrender Dorothy. Drew Barrymore as Dorothy's great-granddaughter coming to Oz, and battling the Wicked Witch of the West's granddaughter.
Somewhere starring Elizabeth Taylor as Dorothy, now a grandmother, returning to Oz. (Rod Steiger was one of the forces behind this project, so his death likely means that it won't be developed.)
Pamela West, where the Wicked Witch is the innocent victim and Dorothy (with Toto as a pit bull) is the evil interloper.
The Land of Oz (not based on the book of the same name), produced by Hallmark for NBC.
Tin Man, a Sci-Fi Channel production set in a futuristic, dystopian dimension called the Outer Zone (O. Z. — get it?)
If progress is made on any of these projects, such as actually going into production or a release date announced, the news will be posted as quickly as possible on this page. But at this stage, any of these going into production is very unlikely.
Alpine Pictures (http://www.alpinepix.com) has signed a deal to make several movies based on the books of Roger S. Baum. The first is scheduled to be Dorothy of Oz.
Another author trying to turn his Oz story into a movie? Geoff Ryman appears to be shopping Was around...
I've also heard about American McGee turning his Oz video game into a movie. I would be more prone to believe this will actually happen if the video game is ever released as well.
In recent years, there have been proposals for other Oz projects, none of which now appear that they will get off the ground. Among them:
Lost in Oz, a series that was to feature Melissa George as a Kansas university student who is whisked to Oz sixty years after the events of The Wizard of Oz and helping to spearhead a rebellion against the new Wicked Witch of the West. Although developed for the WB and a pilot film produced, it was never picked up, nor the pilot shown. (But keep an eye out on auction sites, as a bootleg DVD sometimes shows up...)
A telelvision miniseries based on Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked, with Demi Moore in the title role. (There are stories that the people developing this version later pushed their involvement into the musical version now playing on Broadway and touring North America.)
The O. Z., a hip-hop flavored re-telling of The Wizard of Oz for Fox. Among the rumored Dorothy's at one point were Brandy, Mya, and the late Aaliyah. Justin Timberlake, John Leuizamo, and Little Richard were mentioned for other parts.
Surrender Dorothy. Drew Barrymore as Dorothy's great-granddaughter coming to Oz, and battling the Wicked Witch of the West's granddaughter.
Somewhere starring Elizabeth Taylor as Dorothy, now a grandmother, returning to Oz. (Rod Steiger was one of the forces behind this project, so his death likely means that it won't be developed.)
Pamela West, where the Wicked Witch is the innocent victim and Dorothy (with Toto as a pit bull) is the evil interloper.
The Land of Oz (not based on the book of the same name), produced by Hallmark for NBC.
Tin Man, a Sci-Fi Channel production set in a futuristic, dystopian dimension called the Outer Zone (O. Z. — get it?)
If progress is made on any of these projects, such as actually going into production or a release date announced, the news will be posted as quickly as possible on this page. But at this stage, any of these going into production is very unlikely.
