The upcoming remake of The Wizard of Oz will be more diverse than some of the previous adaptations. Previously, it had been reported that Black-ish creator Kenya Barris was on board to write and direct a new take on The Wizard of Oz for Warner Bros. after Nicole Kassell (Watchmen) departed a previous planned version of the film. Not many details have yet been revealed about the vision Barris has in mind but the remake has been described as a “fresh take on the classic story of Dorothy and her adventure to Oz.”
Speaking with Variety, Barris has confirmed his plans to include LGBTQ+ representation in the new Wizard of Oz. The filmmaker explains that this is because doing so would more accurately reflect the world we are living in today. He compares this to the original Wizard of Oz doing the same, but with what was happening in the 1930s.
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While Barris is optimistic about the project, he also understands the importance of the original film. He hopes that his new take will carve its own place in cinema history as the original movie had. But knowing how often films are getting shelved nowadays, Barris also says he’ll just be happy to see this new movie released.
The Wizard of Oz Is Considered to Be One of the Greatest Films Ever Made
MGM
Directed by Victor Fleming, The Wizard of Oz was released in 1939. It is an adaptation of the original novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and follows Judy Garland as Dorothy, a young girl transported to the magical land of Oz where she finds herself on a thrilling adventure with her dog, Toto (Terry the Dog), with the assistance of a scarecrow (Ray Bolger), tin man (Jack Haley), and cowardly lion (Bert Lahr). Widely considered to be one of the very best movies ever made, The Wizard of Oz is said to be the most-seen film in history.
Over the years, there have been a variety of sequels and reimaginings of The Wizard of Oz. This includes multiple Disney films, such as 1985’s Return to Oz with a young Fairuza Balk and 2013’s Oz the Great and Powerful with director Sam Raimi and stars James Franco, Mila Kunis, and Rachel Weisz. The film has also inspired the hit stage show Wicked which is currently getting developed as a feature film starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
