Posted in: Movies, Warner Bros | Tagged: Kenya Barris, Warner Bros, WB, wizard of oz
Wizard Of Oz Reimagining On The Way From WB, Kenya Barris Directing
Wizard Of Oz is returning to theaters, as WB has tapped Kenya Barris to write and direct a new reimagining of the classic tale, with a modern update. The Black-ish creator he not divulged what his version of the story will be just yet, but it would still be a little ways away. He is currently in post-production on his feature directorial debut, You People, which he co-wrote with Jonah Hill. That film stars Hill, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lauren London, Nia Long, and David Duchovny. Deadline had the news of the return to Oz.
Do We Need Another Wizard Of Oz?
For those who have never seen the original 1939 film of The Wizard of Oz: "When a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her dog, Toto, are whisked away in their house to the magical land of Oz. They follow the Yellow Brick Road toward the Emerald City to meet the Wizard, and en route, they meet a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) that needs a brain, a Tin Man (Jack Haley) missing a heart, and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) who wants courage. The wizard asks the group to bring him the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) to earn his help."
I guess the big question is: do we need another version of Wizard Of Oz? Taking the classic out of the equation, we still have had so many over the years. I get that this is almost like a "legacy" IP at this point, but when you nail it right out of the gate, I am not so sure you need to go back to that well. The only thing that interests me at all is that it is Barris doing it. I will be curious to see what he does.