NEW YORK (AP) – Are we looking for the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, again?
New Line Cinema is making a new adaptation of ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel, starring Nicole Kassell, the visual architect of ‘Watchmen’. Baum’s novel from 1900, which is now in the public domain, has produced many adaptations over the years – the most famous of course being the 1939 MGM musical by Victor Fleming, starring Judy Garland.
Kassell’s version will not be a musical. New Line said it would be a ‘fresh take’ and ‘a new imagination’ from ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’. It will also have some benefits, as Warner Bros. New Line and owned the 1939 film. This means that it can use some brands, such as the ruby slippers.
“While the 1939 musical is part of my DNA, I am excited and humbled by the responsibility of re-imagining such a legendary story,” Kassell said in a statement. “The opportunity to explore the original themes – the search for courage, love, wisdom and home – feels more timely and urgent than ever before. These are very iconic shoes to fill, and I’m eager to work with these heroes of mine. childhood dancing while we pave a custom yellow brick road! ‘
Kassell is an executive producer of HBO’s “Watchmen” and directs three of its nine episodes, including The Pilot. She works mainly in television, but directs the films ‘The Woodsman’ and ‘A Little Bit of Heaven’.
The most recent “Wizard of Oz” movie comes from the Walt Disney Co. ‘s “Oz the Great and Powerful” in 2013. Directed by Sam Raimi and starring James Franco, it’s 20 years before the events of the 1939 classic.
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