Sam Raimi Talks OZ: THE GREAT & POWERFUL Inspiration And Relation To The Original Film

Spider-Man director Sam Raimi will be visiting Oz for his next film, and here he talks about how much of The Great & Powerful is inspired by L. Frank Baum's books as well as reiterating that the film does not remake the original in any way.

By PaulRom - Jan 26, 2013 10:01 AM EST

Filed Under: Fantasy

Speaking with Total Film, Oz: The Great & Powerful director Sam Raimi discusses his anticipated prequel to the iconic Wizard Of Oz. Due to the popularity of the first film, many fans were hesitant about a new film inspired by the mythology of L. Frank Baum's classic books. However, Raimi confirms that he didn't try to remake Wizard Of Oz, and that he didn't have to reinvent any of the film's history in the prequel. "I think The Wizard Of Oz is such a great film and I would never attempt to [remake that]," he said. "You could call [Oz] a prequel, that would be accurate - but I didn’t have to re-invent any of that fantastic history."

Raimi also talks about screenwriter Mitchell Kapner's work on the film, and how much of Baum's books inspired it as opposed to his own material. The Spider-Man director additionally comments on the collaboration on the script. "Mitchell [Kapner, screenwriter] took about 40% of the events that were sprinkled here and there about Oz from Baum’s books and really created the other 60% himself out of his imagination, because there just wasn’t enough there. I gave him notes, I brought aboard a second writer to help fill out some other areas of the story, my brother did a little work on the script, and all the actors contributed. It really was a very big collaboration."

Oz: The Great And Powerful stars James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams. The film is set to hit theaters March 8th.

Follow @PaulRomCBM

WICKED: The Wizard Will See You Now In Extended Trailer For Universal's Musical Adaptation

Recommended For You:

GRENDEL: New Live-Action Adaptation Casts Dave Bautista As Beowulf And Jeff Bridges As His Monstrous Foe

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

11 Comments

Mrcool210 - 1/26/2013, 11:09 AM

well of course its not remaking anything, its a prequel isnt it?

bhorwith22 - 1/26/2013, 11:35 AM

It can't really fit as 'canon' though. In the 1939 film, Oz was just a dream. Might fit with the books though.

Super12 - 1/26/2013, 12:03 PM

So either it was all just a dream (in which case a prequel doesn't make sense), or the Wizard of Oz wasnt actually that magician guy at the beginning in the same way the scarecrow is one of the farmhands that Dorothy dreamed up. Oz would be James Franco and he would have floated back to Kansas, and that magician would have just been someone else in KS. Or that was one FAST balloon ride back home

superotherside - 1/26/2013, 7:44 PM

I'm hoping that he comes back to do a film franchise from the books. If adapted correctly the OZ books would make an amazing new movie franchise.

ISleepNow - 1/26/2013, 9:48 PM

I think it would be more honest to say Raimi couldn't find enough material from the books to use that he cared for seeing as how Baum wrote over 20 books in the series

IIIAdamantiumIII - 1/27/2013, 8:59 AM

lol this movie looks like shit

dancingmonkey08 - 1/27/2013, 5:46 PM

I hate how some people just come on to an article just to trash the movie. I know I should be used to it after the years I have been coming on here but it really pisses me off. I dont go on to the GI Joe articles and Riddick articles that have been put up today and start saying they are shit, do I? Goddamn some people have too much time on their hands

Rambaldi47 - 1/28/2013, 12:43 PM

I hope that if this is a success, they'll adapt The Wonderful Wizard of Oz faithfully. The book has a lot of differences, so it wouldn't take away from the classic. And then they could do the other books in the series.

Sam Raimi Talks OZ: THE GREAT & POWERFUL Inspiration And Relation To The Original Film

Spider-Man director Sam Raimi will be visiting Oz for his next film, and here he talks about how much of The Great & Powerful is inspired by L. Frank Baum's books as well as reiterating that the film does not remake the original in any way.

WICKED: The Wizard Will See You Now In Extended Trailer For Universal's Musical Adaptation

GRENDEL: New Live-Action Adaptation Casts Dave Bautista As Beowulf And Jeff Bridges As His Monstrous Foe

LORD OF THE RINGS Movie Producer Reveals What They Have The Rights To After THE RINGS OF POWER's TV Launch

LORD OF THE RINGS: THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM Producer Peter Jackson On Why We're Getting Sméagol's Origin Story

WICKED: The Wizard Will See You Now In Extended Trailer For Universal's Musical Adaptation

LORD OF THE RINGS Movie Producer Reveals What They Have The Rights To After THE RINGS OF POWER's TV Launch

LORD OF THE RINGS: THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM Producer Peter Jackson On Why We're Getting Sméagol's Origin Story

WICKED: The Wizard Will See You Now In Extended Trailer For Universal's Musical Adaptation

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM Will Reveal The First Footage Next Month At Annecy

THE LORD OF THE RINGS Sets His Plan In Motion In New BTS Teaser For THE RINGS OF POWER Season 2

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER Season 2 Trailer Teases Sauron's Mission And Gandalf's Journey

Popular Headlines

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Gets A New Poster As Ryan Reynolds Confirms Tickets Go On Sale TOMORROW

THE SUBSTANCE Shocks Cannes Audiences; Star Demi Moore Talks Graphic Nude Scene With Margaret Qualley

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME's Spell May Have Had Consequences For Peter #2 And #3 As Well - Possible SPOILERS

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Gets Hilariously Unserious New Synopsis

KRAVEN THE HUNTER Producer Reveals Surprising Reason Sony's Latest Marvel Movie Was Pushed To December

RUMOR: Taylor Swift Has Met With Kevin Feige To Discuss Marvel Cinematic Universe Role

THE SUBSTANCE Shocks Cannes Audiences; Star Demi Moore Talks Graphic Nude Scene With Margaret Qualley

KRAVEN THE HUNTER Producer Reveals Surprising Reason Sony's Latest Marvel Movie Was Pushed To December

RUMOR: Taylor Swift Has Met With Kevin Feige To Discuss Marvel Cinematic Universe Role

THE SUBSTANCE Shocks Cannes Audiences; Star Demi Moore Talks Graphic Nude Scene With Margaret Qualley

KRAVEN THE HUNTER Producer Reveals Surprising Reason Sony's Latest Marvel Movie Was Pushed To December

Wade Wilson Kills, Well, Everyone In DEADPOOL KILLS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE-Themed Variant Covers

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Gets Hilariously Unserious New Synopsis

BOOSTER GOLD: 7 Actors Who Could Play The DCU's Time-Travelling Celebrity Superhero

Hot Headlines

EYES OF WAKANDA Will Be Set In The MCU And Revolve Around [SPOILER]; New Details On SPIDER-MAN's Next Series

AVENGERS 5 And AVENGERS: SECRET WARS Get A Rumored Release Update Amid MCU's Ongoing Creative Overhaul

RUMOR: Taylor Swift Has Met With Kevin Feige To Discuss Marvel Cinematic Universe Role

James Gunn Says "We're Still Working" On BOOSTER GOLD Series But Debunks Recent Rumor

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Gets A New Poster As Ryan Reynolds Confirms Tickets Go On Sale TOMORROW

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Lisa Kudrow Leads The TIME BANDITS In First Look At Taika Waititi's Apple TV+ Reboot

Emma Stone And Yorgos Lanthimos' SAVE THE GREEN PLANET Remake Retitled BUGONIA

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 6 Eyeing Austin Butler And Hailee Steinfeld As Producer Teases Johnny Depp's Return

STAR WARS: Daisy Ridley On Potentially Reuniting With John Boyega For New Movie - "It Feels Like We Should"

SKELETON CREW Leaked Merchandise Reveals First Look At The Show's Leads And A Mysterious Droid

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE TV Spot Appears To Have Revealed A Major SPOILER About The Show's Villain

Cartoons & Animated Features

Universal's Live-Action HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Adaptation Wraps Filming

Marvel Studios Exec Talks Possible Shared Animated Universe And A Revival Of SPIDER-MAN's 90s Series

X-MEN '97 Producer Clarifies Beau DeMayo's Comments About Deadpool Being "Off-Limits"

Netflix Could Lose Multiple Seasons Of ONE PIECE Anime As Soon As This Week

New EYES OF WAKANDA Story Details Revealed; YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN's Inspired By Steve Ditko

X-MEN '97 Team On How Finale's Post-Credits Scene Sets Up Season 2 - SPOILERS

Gaming

MULTIVERSUS Reveals Jason Voorhees And Agent Smith As Newest Playable Characters

EA SPORTS COLLEGE FOOTBALL 25 Reveal Trailer Offers First Look At EA's Beloved Franchise In 11 Years

FORTNITE Channels MAD MAX In Chapter 5 Season 3 Teaser Trailer

CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS GULF WAR Rumored To Launch In Late Fall

STAR WARS TOTAL WAR Game Rumored To Be In Development At Creative Assembly

CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS GULF WAR Will Reportedly Launch For Free On Xbox Game Pass

Anime & Manga

DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA Star Kenichi Suzumura Going On Hiatus Due To Health Issues

Multiple Seasons Of ONE PIECE Anime Scheduled To Leave Netflix By July 2024

TOONAMI REWIND Is Taking Us Back In Time With DRAGON BALL Z KAI, NARUTO, And SAILOR MOON

BERSERK: THE BLACK SWORDSMAN Trailer Released By Studio Eclypse

MY HERO ACADEMIA THE MOVIE: YOU'RE NEXT Shares New Preview Stills

New SUICIDE SQUAD ISEKAI Trailer Introduces The Joker

Horror

LONGLEGS: You Might Want To Say Your Prayers Before Watching This Bone-Chilling New Trailer

THE SUBSTANCE Star Demi Moore On Body-Horror Movie's Extreme Violence And Nudity

Cillian Murphy Officially Set To Return For 28 YEARS LATER

THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 Hits Rotten Tomatoes With Worst Score Of The Franchise

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER Revival Sets 2025 Theatrical Release

SILENT HILL Reboot Unveils First Official Look At New Take On Pyramid Head

Action Movies & TV

BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE Final Trailer Pits Will Smith & Martin Lawrence Against Crooked Cops & An Alligator?!

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Production Designer Pawas Sawatchaiyamet On Working With Dev Patel

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Mask Designer Eddie Yang; Dev Patel Film Now Available On Digital HD

Tom Cruise's MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 8 Adds SEVERANCE Actor Tramell Tillman

A24's CIVIL WAR Was The #1 Movie In America For The Second Week In A Row

JAMES BOND: Henry Cavill Isn't Closing The Door On Playing 007; "Maybe I'm Too Old Now. Maybe I'm Not..."

Pro Wrestling & MMA News

Cody Rhodes Reveals When Exactly He Learned Of WWE's Plans For The Rock vs. Roman Reigns At WRESTLEMANIA

Jey Uso Shares His Thoughts On The Bloodline's Evolution And No Longer Being On SMACKDOWN

The Rock's Writer Confirms SMACKDOWN Segment With Cody Rhodes Before WRESTLEMANIA Didn't Go As Planned