New Line grabs a pitch for a horror film based on Baum’s The Wizard of Oz

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

To this very day, one of my favorite films of all time is Walter Murch‘s 1985 cult classic RETURN TO OZ. To summarize, it’s a dark-as-f*ck sequel to the 1939 original, wherein Dorothy is taken to a dilapidated psychiatric hospital where she will undergo electroshock therapy to cure her of her delusions about the existence of Oz and it’s people. Eventually, she escapes the hospital and returns to Oz, only to find that it’s been ravaged by the evil Queen Mombi and the wrath of the Nome King. It’s really a wild film; the people of Oz have been beheaded and turned to stone, the yellow brick road lies in ruin, and a vicious gang of punks patrol the land in search of those who look to oppose the Queens rule. If you’ve never seen it, please do. I promise that it’s worth your time.

Meanwhile, it’s been announced today that New Line has snagged themselves a pitch for an original horror film set in the world of Oz from Mike Van Waes. For the moment, the project is in its earliest stages of development, but word has it that the story will center around a young girl and her dog who are spirited away to an enchanted world where she meets a Lion, Scarecrow, and Tin Man who are left with no choice but to destroy a Wicked Witch whose influence is destroying Oz one yellow brick at a time.

Recently, Waes has been having a grand old time while selling several of his scripts to different studios. His HAMMERSPACE pitch has been picked up by Warner Bros. and he also sold a book called Peeves to Harper Collins not long ago, which was then grabbed up by Fox for an upcoming animation project through Temple Hill.

So what do you all think? Are you down to visit a dark version of the Land of Oz, where sinister shadows loom and diseased flying monkeys patrol the skies? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.