Sam Raimi‘s OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, a prequel to the classic WIZARD OF OZ, has been on a marketing rollercoaster, enticing viewers with reminiscent visions from the land of Oz with the promise of a visual feast of vibrant color, strange creatures, and both wicked and good witches. Starring James Franco as the titular Oz, the star talks about his role in the film along with Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, and director Sam Raimi. The emphasis is on the design of the world of Oz, which was recreated with the lead of Robert Stromberg, who won Oscars for his work on AVATAR and ALICE IN WONDERLAND, as well as Howard Berger on make-up effects.
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I’ve been on the fence with OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, but this featurette, which shows a good bit of new footage, has pushed me in its favor, more so than the trailers. Raimi’s words to Berger of, “I want a big, scary, mean witch,” is promising as well and makes me wonder what this could’ve been if Raimi had taken a horror approach. Could you imagine an Evil Dead-style Oz movie?
OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL heads to theaters on March 8, 2013.