Tarsem Singh will direct all 10 episodes of NBC’s Emerald City

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Said to be a dark and modern (how original!) re-imagining of the L. Frank Baum’s novels, NBC's Emerald City looks to be going the True Detective route as it has enlisted Tarsem Singh to fill the directors chair for all ten episodes of the new series. Emerald City was originally ordered straight-to-series in January of 2014 but NBC ended up pulling the plug due to some creative differences; however the project was then resurrected earlier this year and again given a straight-to-series order.

Adria Arjona, who you can currently see in season two of HBO's True Detective, was cast as Dorothy Gale and now several others have joined her. Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Dracula) will play Lucas, who is described as "handsome, mysterious, quick-witted, and the sole survivor of what appears to gave been a mass crucifixion, he remembers nothing of his past, not even his name. He joins Dorothy on her journey to the Emerald City." Ana Ularu (INFERNO) is set to play "West, a force of nature who has entered an unholy alliance with the Wizard. Corrupt and languorously seductive, she is a creature of perverse humor and  unsavory appetites. She lives in a lavishly appointed brothel where she is the madam of sorts." Finally, Gerran Howell will play the brave, adventurous, and perpetually positive Jack.

NBC's synopsis for Emerald City:

In the blink of a tornado’s eye, 20-year-old Dorothy Gale and her K9 police dog are transported to another world, one far removed from our own — a mystical land of competing kingdoms, lethal warriors, dark magic and a bloody battle for supremacy. This is the fabled Land of Oz in a way you’ve never seen before, where wicked witches don’t stay dead for long and a young girl becomes a headstrong warrior who holds the fate of kingdoms in her hands.

Tarsem Singh is known for his visually distinctive work on THE CELL, THE FALL, IMMORTALS, MIRROR MIRROR, and SELF/LESS, so at the very least, Emerald City should wind up looking quite amazing.