Not Only Wicked: 5 Surprising The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Adaptations
The famous story has taken many forms, from animation to depressing drama.
In 1939, Victor Fleming's iconic musical The Wizard of Oz, based on the literary cycle by author L. Frank Baum, was released. Thanks to Judy Garland's touching smile, innovative visuals, and a memorable plot, Fleming's work quickly became a classic.
Many forget, however, that Baum's books have had other, no less original adaptations.
1. The Wizard of Oz, 1925
Many consider Victor Fleming's musical to be the first adaptation of L. Frank Baum's novel, but this is not entirely true. The first Hollywood adaptation of The Wizard of Oz was a silent film in 1910, which was immediately followed by three sequels.
This was followed by a 1925 version made with the direct participation of the author's son, Frank Baum, who took over the duties of screenwriter.
It is noteworthy that Baum Jr. deliberately refused to follow the letter of his father's book; on the contrary, this adaptation is considered the freest variation of The Wizard of Oz. The main plot revolves around Dorothy, who accidentally learns that she is the ruler of a distant fairy-tale land that has been usurped by an evil prime minister.
2. Oz the Great and Powerful, 2013
The Wizard of Oz spin-off tells the origin story of Oz himself, who, according to legend, was thrown into the fairy tale world during a failed hot air balloon flight. Oz the Great and Powerful offers viewers a glimpse of the book's most mysterious character, whose identity has long remained behind the scenes.
In addition to Oz, the movie reveals portraits of Glinda, the Wicked Witch of the West, and the Wicked Witch of the East, who appear far less flat than in the original.
3. Lion of Oz, 2000
This animated spin-off of The Wizard of Oz tells the story of the Lion, one of the main characters. Lion of Oz tells the story of what the Lion was like before he met Dorothy.
It turns out that he was the main terror of a traveling circus, causing much fear among young children. But after arriving in the land of Oz and meeting the Witch of the East, the Lion has a whole new purpose in life – to free himself from his own fears.
4. Return to Oz, 1985
Unlike other films on this list, Return to Oz was not adapted for the big screen by Metro Goldwyn Mayer, but by Disney, which is obvious from the first frame. Apparently, the studio wanted to make an adaptation that was as different from Fleming's musical as possible.
Thus, director Walter Murch refused to turn Baum's work into a fairy tale, but rather the opposite – his film feels like a dark, overly realistic version. Filmed in shades of gray and white, Return to Oz is in many ways a sad and even depressing movie.
Dorothy persists in telling her loved ones about the fabulous land of Oz, which eventually lands her in a mental institution where she becomes the victim of psychopathic doctors. After escaping from the asylum, Dorothy goes to the land of Oz, which greets her with an ominous emptiness and frightening stone figures.
5. The Wiz, 1978
Sidney Lumet's The Wiz is an adaptation of the 1974 Broadway musical of the same name. The screenplay was written by Joel Schumacher. And if that combination is not enough, then it makes sense to move on to the plot.
The Wiz is the most unusual interpretation of the fairy tale – the main action takes place in New York, and all the key characters in the movie are played by Black actors. The main character is a 24-year-old schoolteacher from Harlem who, through a twist of fate, ends up in a fairy-tale place where all her dreams can come true.