According to HuffingtonPost, Nicole Kassell has signed on to direct a new adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz for New Line Cinema.
The story has, of course, been adapted for the screen several times before, most notably as 1939 classic starring Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale.
In a statement, Kassell, whose credits include 2004’s The Woodsman and episodes of Watchmen and The Americans, said:
“While the 1939 musical is part of my DNA, I am exhilarated and humbled by the responsibility of re-imagining such a legendary tale. The opportunity to examine the original themes —the quest for courage, love, wisdom, and home — feels more timely and urgent than ever. These are profoundly iconic shoes to fill,” she added, “and I am eager to dance alongside these heroes of my childhood as we pave a newly minted yellow brick road!”
The Wizard of Oz hasn’t exactly been an untouchable property in the 82 years since Garland’s Dorothy flew over the rainbow.
Baum’s characters have been reprised on screen in 1985’s Return to Oz and 2013’s Oz the Great and Powerful as well as on Broadway in the musicals The Wiz and Wicked.
Since New Line’s parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, owns the rights to the 1939 film, the upcoming adaptation will apparently be the first to reference trademarked elements from that version, including the ruby slippers.
However, most of the fans of Wizard of Oz are opposed to this remake.
While I admire the gumption of someone trying to remake a near-flawless classic I can’t see why, as a filmmaker, you’d want to,” one person wrote. “Wizard Of Oz remains, in its original form, one of the most magical big-screen experiences. Replicating that will be nigh on impossible.”
Another confirms it is not April 1st to be sure it is not a time to be fooled. “I had to check my calendar to make sure it wasn’t April 1st and an April Fools’ joke.”
All fingers are crossed to see the next step that would be taken.
