Fans of all ages will flock to movie theaters and cinemas on the 8th March to return to the magical kingdom of Oz. From humble beginnings to Hollywood to Broadway. The wonderful world of Oz has transcended time and platforms to tell an enchanting story centered around Baum’s iconic world.
Sam Raimi’s new adventure comes 113 years after the release of one of the worlds most loved children’s books “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”. A story that defined a generation, and introduced us to some of the most memorable characters the world has ever known.
A twist on a classic, “Oz: The Great and Powerful” takes us to a pre-Dorethy Land of Oz, and tells the tail of an unlikely hero. The story of how the uncooth Wizard (Played by James Franco) came to be in the land of Oz. Raimi might be treading new ground with his never before told story, but he’s certainly not the first to adapt Baum’s iconic book for a modern generation. Frank Baum himself was actually the first, bringing his book to the stage in 1903. Since then, The Wizard of Oz and It’s characters have been played by thousands of different actors, infront of millions of people though Ballet, Stage, Film, Television and Music.
In our Gallery below, we’ve taken a glance at Oz through the years, from the book released in 1900, to Michael Jackson’s portrayal of the Scarecrow, to Muppets and finally to Sam Raimi’s epic new adventure
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- 1900 – “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Original book art from 1900
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- 1900 – An illustration by W. W. Denslow from “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” a 1900 children’s novel by L. Frank Baum.
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- 1903 – Promotional poster for “The Wizard of Oz,” circa 1903
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- 1919 – “The Magic of Oz” by L. Frank Baum was published after his death.
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- 1925 – In this silent film, “The Wizard of Oz” scarecrow-director Larry Semon, shushes a cowardly lion played by Spencer Bell.
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- 1939- A scene from the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz.” (Distributed by Warner Bros.Photo_Art)
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- 1978- Diana Ross, center, as Dorothy, Michael Jackson, right, as Scarecrow, and Nipsey Russell as Tinman perform during filming of the musical “The Wiz.” Ted Ross, portraying the Lion, is partly hidden behind Russell. (Associated Press)
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- 2003- Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel in a scene from the original Broadway musical production of “Wicked.” (Joan Marcus_Associated Press)
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- 2005- A publicity still from the 2005 television movie “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz,” starring Ashanti as Dorothy. (ABC)
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- 2005- A scene from the 2005 television movie “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz,” starring Ashanti as Dorothy. (ABC)
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- 2005- A scene from the 2005 television movie “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz,” starring Ashanti as Dorothy. (ABC)2
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- 2013- A scene from “Oz- The Great and Powerful.” (Disney Enterprises)
February 28, 2013 at 11:04 pm
Any screening passes for Miami