The Wizard of Oz is not only a legendary movie in its own regard, but a film that has a remarkable penchant for eliciting off-shoot stories from every possible direction, be it prologue to epilogue, this character to that character.
Now, Sam Mendes, the man who brought to life one of my favorite movies (American Beauty) wants to shine the light on the Wizard of Oz himself. In the project entitled Oz The Great and Powerful, he will seek to point the camera at Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs, the man who would become the Wizard. The story will adapt the Frank Baum novel to tell of how the Wizard got lost in his hot air balloon and ended up in Oz.
And who will play Oscar Zoroaster…? Robert Downey Jr. appears to be in the running. The man who embodied Sherlock Holmes as no one else has, Downey may look to bring The Wizard of Oz to life, undoubtedly as no one else can. I may not be a huge fan of his work, but I’ll be damned if he isn’t impeccably original, showcasing an ability to put his signature on any role. And this would be a beautiful canvas for him to paint a masterpiece; a classic character with a modern twist appears to be something that suits his artistic awareness.
With Mendes and Downey teaming up for this project, I suspect green lights all the way, although the flick is only in the planning stages.
What do you think about this combo? How about the take on the Wizard of Oz?