NEW YORK (AP) – Are we going to see the wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz – again?
New Line Cinema is making a new adaptation of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, a children’s novel by L. Frank Baum, with Nicole Kassell, the visual architect of “Watchmen”, ready to direct. Baum’s 1900 novel, now in the public domain, has generated many adaptations over the years – the most famous, of course, the 1939 MGM musical by Victor Fleming and starring Judy Garland.
Kassell’s version will not be musical. New Line said it will be a “new version” and a “reimagination” of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”. It will also have some advantages, since Warner Bros. owns New Line and the 1939 film. That means he can wear some trademark elements, like ruby slippers.
“Although the 1939 musical is part of my DNA, I am happy and humble with the responsibility to rethink such a legendary story,” said Kassell in a statement. “The opportunity to examine the original themes – the search for courage, love, wisdom and home – seems more timely and urgent than ever. These are deeply iconic shoes to fill, and I look forward to dancing alongside these heroes from my childhood as we pave a newly minted yellow brick road! “
Kassell is an executive producer on HBO’s Watchmen and has directed three of his nine episodes, including the pilot. She worked mainly on television, but directed the films “The Woodsman” and “A Little Bit of Heaven”.
The most recent film “Wizard of Oz” came from Walt Disney Co.’s “Oz the Great and Powerful” in 2013. Directed by Sam Raimi and starring James Franco, it was set 20 years before the events of the 1939 classic.