NEW YORK (AP) – Will we see the wizard again, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz?
New Line Cinema is making a new adaptation of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, the children’s novel L. Frank Baum, with Nicole Kassell, the visual architect of “Watchmen”, directed. Baum’s 1900 novel, now in the public domain, has produced many adaptations over the years – the most famous, of course, is the 1939 MGM musical by Victor Fleming and starring Judy Garland.
Kassell’s version will not be a musical. New Line said it would be a “new review” and a “reimagining” of the “Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” It will also have some advantages, as Warner Bros. he owns New Line and the 1939 film. That means he can use some recorded items, such as ruby slippers.
“While the 1939 musical is part of my DNA, I am exalted and humiliated by the responsibility to reimagine such a legendary story,” Kassell said in a statement. “The opportunity to examine the original themes – the search for courage, love, wisdom and home – feels more timely and urgent than ever. These are deeply iconic shoes to fill and I am eager to dance alongside these asphalt heroes of my childhood a new yellow brick road! “
Kassell is an executive producer on HBO’s Watchmen and has directed three of its nine episodes, including The Pilot. He worked mainly in television, but directed the feature films “Pădurarul” and “Un pic de cer”.
The most recent film “The Wizard of Oz” came from Walt Disney Co.’s “Great and Mighty Oz” in 2013. Directed by Sam Raimi and starring James Franco, it was set 20 years before the events of the 1939 classic.
Copyright © 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.