Since Sony unexpectedly took a scorched earth approach to the Spider-Man franchise and severed ties with Sam Raimi, there’s been the question of what project the director would take on. World of Warcraft is the largest and most frequently mentioned attachment (though his name was tossed around for The Hobbit, and might be still, until Yates signs on the line that is dotted), with some other vague hints floating around that a reboot of The Shadow could be his next target. It appears Disney is hot to snatch up the scorned director and have him handle their prequel to The Wizard of Oz, entitled Oz, The Great and Powerful.
If Raimi and Disney can make the partnership work, then it is noted that Raimi will be courting Robert Downey Jr. to play the P.T. Barnum figure who tornado’s into town and gets labeled a wizard by easily-impressed smalls.
The 1939 classic bored the fun out of me when I was younger, so the push for this prequel leaves me unmoved. However! However, the idea of this big-budget fantasy playground being put into the hands of Sam Raimi, all the while anchored around RDJ… I feel like these 2 could have a great deal of fun with this kind of a film. Fun that I would then be able to pay a slightly unreasonable of money to watch, and possibly enjoy. Possibly a lot.
Expect word one way or another soonish- Disney is reportedly looking to get this going quick.
Source | Hollywood Insider – EW (Whose story seems to have popped up 30 minutes before the sourceless Variety piece.) Thanks to surrealeye.
13 comments
RDJ's getting spread thin. I'd rather see Woody Harrelson play the lead.
Why is Raimi's name attached to the Warcraft movie if they aren't moving forward with it? Sure, when he was still tied to Spider-man 4 it made sense that Warcraft would wait until that movie was in the can, but now he's been cut loose…what's holding up production on Warcraft? If he's attached and he doesn't have anything else currently lined up, why not get that motherfucker going? ESPECIALLY with The Hobbit – the direct competition to a Warcraft movie, and, along with LotRs, the big ass stick by which it'll be measured – in limbo, now is the time to jump on that thing and get it in theaters before 2012. I want a (potentially) awesome epic fantasy, damnit! And I definitely don't want Raimi directing The Hobbit – or, like poor Guillermo, wasting time waiting for that MGM bullshit to get sorted out when he could be making other movies.
Awaiting 3D announcement in 3…2..1
Hell, Raimi might have fun with the format
Or he can make the film adaptation of The Given Day, the rights to which he bought two years ago.
Oooo, you didn't like The Wizard of Oz, how edgy and cool of you.
Please don't call him RDJ. And if the Wizard of Oz bores you, then you shouldn't have the right to write aobut film.
UGH A World of Warcraft Movie? You have got to be kidding me.
Is this a "prove I have no taste" article or was that the Matrix CGI story?
"The 1939 classic bored the fun out of me when I was younger" what are you 10?
Is this from the script that Josh Olson wrote a few years ago or is this a completely different take?
Wizard Of Oz. "Bored". I don't think I like you.
The Wizard of OZ book shits all over the movie.
No, no, no the book's a classic but the film is one of those rare cases where it is indisputably better. And Raimi doing this actually makes me interested as long as they don't go the Alice in Wonderland route and go for 'dark and edgy'. (I think the press release may have said something along those lines but I trust Raimi to know that a Oz film should be first and foremost FUN).
Comments are shown as archived from the original site; new comments are closed.