TB is reporting that THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING's Eddie Redmayne has been cast as L. Frank Baum in a biopic about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz author titled ROAD TO OZ. New Line and Flynn Picture Company are producing the planned film, which will recount the early days of Baum. With Redmayne set to star, the producers are apparently now on the hunt for a director for the project.
ROAD TO OZ was written by newcomer Josh Golden, and the screenwriter and his script were finalists for the 2014 Academy Nicholl Fellowships. New Line acquired Golden's spec script back in September of last year, shortly after the finalists were announced.
L. Frank Baum published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900, and went on to pen thirteen full-length book sequels, as well as nine fantasy non-Oz novels. Conlan Carter portrayed Baum in "The Wizard of Aberdeen" episode of the anthology television series Death Valley Days, while John Ritter played the author in the 1990 NBC TV movie THE DREAMER OF OZ: THE L. FRANK BAUM STORY.
Even though on paper ROAD TO OZ stinks of Oscar bait, I'm still interested in checking out, especially if the film ends up landing an inspired director. Which filmmaker do you think should be behind the camera for the biopic?
Eddie Redmayne's THE DANISH GIRL will see a limited release on November 27, 2015, and the actor will star as Newt Scamander in the Harry Potter spinoff movie FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM, which is scheduled to open on November 18, 2016.