With the success of ALICE IN WONDERLAND, the prequel to 1939's WIZARD OF OZ is once again on the fast track. At one time, Drew Barrymore was attached, along with Guillermo Del Toro, Sam Mendes and a bevy of other stars and directors. Robert Downey, Jr. looks to still be in line for the role of the not-so-great and powerful Oz, in a film that will reportedly follow the ruler from his humble beginnings all the way up into his man behind the curtain days. Now, it looks as if Disney has offered Sam Raimi the job to direct OZ, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL.

It's clear from the conversations that the possibility of a new OZ film has sparked, that the idea of who will direct this film is much more exciting to fans then who will actually end up starring in it. The land of Oz and all that it encompasses lends itself to a filmmaker with a unique sensibility and a knack for storytelling. It's a fun word association game to play when thinking about who could direct the next Oz film: Jean-Pierre Juenet, Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, James Cameron, etc. Those names instantly allow you to connect with a vision of what these films could look like potentially.

That's why the idea of returning to the universe of Oz is exciting, but the thought of having a character-based movie is not. The actress that ends up playing Dorothy could be anyone; we really just want to see flying monkeys and talking trees. However, Robert Downey, Jr. could be the only actor that gets me interested in the prospect of seeing a movie whose center focus is how the character of Oz became so important in the first place. Raimi would be a great choice, but is he the perfect fit? That ultimately depends on what kind of story he really wants to tell.

Source: NY Mag