Walt Disney Pictures Presents: Oz The Great and Powerful

In Brief

Oz The Great and Powerful
Release Date: March 8

Walt Disney Studios

Starring: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, and Zach Braff

Directed by: Sam Raimi

Official Web site: www.Disney.com/OzTheGreat

Facebook:www.Facebook.com/OzTheGreatandPowerful

Twitter: https://www.Twitter.com/DisneyOzMovie

Disney's fantastical adventure "Oz The Great and Powerful," directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum's beloved wizard character. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot-fame and fortune are his for the taking-that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity-and even a bit of wizardry-Oscar transforms himself not only into the great wizard but into a better man as well.

See the Trailer Here:

See a clip from the movie here:

East to West and In-Between: The Witches of Oz

by Derek J. Samms

While Disney's 3D adventure "Oz the Great and Powerful" focuses primarily on the titular shyster-turned-wizard, the witches have their own prominent roles to play. In journeying back to Oz, the filmmakers had to develop a back-story and origins for Glinda (Michelle Williams), Evanora (Rachel Weisz), and Theodora (Mila Kunis). Those last two names were of course invented for the new film, to develop the characters that will eventually become the Wicked Witches of the West and East. Disney is keeping a tight lip on just which witch is which. What we know from the outset, though, is that all three of these women possess beauty, power, and class, attributes that require expert acting, breathtaking costumes, and smooth effects to portray convincingly.

Each of the actresses had to face the challenge of creating her own version of an iconic character. Both Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz had to consider how to delve into their respective witches given the work of original Wicked Witch Margaret Hamilton, whose performance has become Hollywood canon. "What she did will be forever in my mind, the greatest witch of all time," says Kunis. "It's like a love letter to her, I guess, in a way."

Billie Burke's original portrayal of Glinda is itself a cinematic monolith, but Michelle Williams brings her own nuance to the good witch, whose personality takes on a little more depth in this version. The actress expresses that given the director Sam Raimi's approach, work on this effects-laden film was not that different from the acting she has done in the past, describing him as "a consummate family man" who brings a positive atmosphere to the set. "It feels very cozy, and it feels very safe, and it feels like all of your ideas are welcome, even the bad ones," she says, adding, "When the day is long and things aren't going quite as you had sort of planned them out in your head, Sam is there with a smile. Sam is there with a hand. Sam is there with a joke."

The creative environment was no doubt beneficial to the performers, and the stunning costumes the actresses wore can't have hurt the process either. Weisz describes the input she was allowed to have with designer Gary Jones on her dress, spending, "a couple of weeks in a room and I cooked up this costume, which I brought to the first screen test, where basically I looked a little bit like the Duchess of Windsor." While that particular costume was still very different from the final product, Weisz describes how working with Jones on it helped her to shape the character: "It was me finding my desire to be queen."

Williams also added creative contributions to her wardrobe. As director Sam Raimi mentions, "Michelle decided this was a little frilly to go into battle with. She needed to have a little bit more of a serious outfit-perhaps I'm using the wrong word-but a 'battle dress.'" As Williams explains, "It came very clear to me that Glinda needed to change her dress to go into battle and that she needed something that she could move more freely in and that she needed something that looked like armor."

Ease of movement proved of particular importance given that all three witches had to fly. Any time a film involves wirework, the costumes have to be adaptable, and so do the actors. These performers had few complaints, though. In fact, to hear them tell it, the fun far outweighed the work. Says Weisz, "It was a little scary the first day. I mean, we had a rehearsal period where these wonderful stunt coordinators who had worked extensively with Sam on these Spider-man films. So they were all experts in making people fly."

"And truth is, I think it's fun for the first, like, twenty minutes on the wires," says Raimi, expressing sympathy for the actresses. "But around hour four, hanging up there... I know those wires, they cut into you."

If they were in any pain making the scene, though, it doesn't show on film. "I feel like you're always kind of acting through something, adds Williams. "Like it's really hot or it's really cold... there's always something else that's going on."

We won't give away too much here, but Williams, Weisz, and Kunis all managed to work through the circumstances to give us some exciting battle scenes. Indeed, there are a lot of things "going on" throughout the film. Whether the characters are flying, creating bubbles from thin air, or shooting lighting and flames from their hands, the actors seemed to have plenty of fun brining Oz to life once again.

"It's fun to play somebody that has no boundaries, that has no rules," says Kunis. "There's no book you can read on how to play a witch so you kind of just create your own version thereof. And, uh, yeah, it's really-it's great."

You can see the witches soaring, floating, and fighting in all their three-dimensional glory in theatres now!

See the Opening Title Sequence Here:

"Oz the Great and Powerful" Casts a Spell on All Ages

by Derek J. Samms

Since "The Wizard of Oz" debuted in 1939, we have all become very familiar with the Land of Oz and its people-the witches, the munchkins, the flying monkeys, and the Winkies, among others. Disney's new film "Oz the Great and Powerful" seeks to explain the way much of that world came to be, particularly the eponymous Wizard himself. While this origins tale may not please everyone, and while fans of stories like Wicked will have to set aside the explanations they know, "Oz the Great and Powerful" provides a fun adventure that the whole family can enjoy.

Even before viewers travel to Oz itself, the first black-and-white shots of rural Kansas immerse the audience in the world of the story. We are transported to a turn-of-the-century traveling circus complete with fire-eaters and jugglers that leap off the screen. There we meet Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a fast-talking, womanizing magician who puts on shows with the help of his cohort Frank (Zach Braff) and picks up what female assistants he can along the way. Admiring inventors like Thomas Edison, Oscar dreams of greatness but for all his tricks can barely achieve "good."

The adventure-not to mention the enchantment-begins quickly, with human conflict as well as weather contributing to Oscar's journey over the rainbow. In Oz, he encounters witches (Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, and Michelle Williams), a winged monkey (voiced by Zach Braff), a little girl made of china (voiced by Joey King), and a prophecy of a great wizard who would fall from the sky and bring peace to the land. At the promise of wealth and power, he puts his skills to use to convince the inhabitants that he is the foretold wizard, but soon finds himself over his head in danger and has to rise to the occasion.

The film is not without its weaknesses. The surprisingly simple dialouge and some underdeveloped supporting characters leave this stellar cast sounding a little stiff at times, and certain plot elements seem predictable. Still, there are enough surprises to keep you guessing. You know you'll see both the Wonderful Wizard and the Wicked Witch take their destined places in Oz, but seeing just how that happens is what makes this a fun view.

That, and the breathtaking visuals. From the first arrival in Oz-in fact, from the opening credits-every frame is awash in Disney magic. The filmmakers missed no opportunity to play with the 3D effects or to fill the screen with eye-popping color. Whether it be the coiled mountains of Oz, the shining walls of Glinda's castle, or the jewel flowers that open as the characters pass, the effects will open the eyes of even the most cynical of viewers.

In the end, while this particular romp through Oz may not please some critics and purists, it is still a magical adventure that young and old can enjoy together. Only time will tell whether this new tribute to L. Frank Baum's world will make the lasting mark on our culture that others have, but for now it is worth a look, and that look is all the more fun in 3D.

Meet Actress Joey King!

Not So Fragile: "China Girl" Joey King Taking Hollywood Like a Tornado

by Derek J. Samms

With any luck, Oz the Great and Powerful will do more than send a swindling magician to a magical land. Hopefully the film will garner even more fame and recognition for talented thirteen-year-old Joey King, who lends her voice to the "China Girl" an apparently fragile, but by no means weak-hearted, denizen of Oz. Known for characters like "Ramona Quimby" and the eccentric ball-of-fluff "Katie" in Horton Hears a Who, King has donned a few zany personas. EnterTeenment caught up with the actress before Oz's release, and she proved she's every bit as fun-spirited as her characters.

Like some of the girls King has played in the past, "China Girl" has a strong personality. "She's very fun and sassy and a feisty little girl, and she's kind of manipulative too, but you grow to love her," she says. What's also intriguing is the unique approach Oz employed to creating its computer-generated characters. Whereas many films will either have actors stand in for the animated characters or use a tennis ball or figurine as a reference for the rest of the cast, this movie did something in between. Actors on set interacted with a specially made marionette attached to a monitor, which showed King's face as she recorded her lines live from a booth. When the computer animation was added later, her facial expressions were integrated into "China Girl" to make the character more lifelike.

Just as the deceptively frail-looking child in the movie joins forces with the wizard and good witch to save the kingdom, Joey has teamed with dozens of major celebrities in projects ranging from Drake and Josh to The Dark Knight Rises, building a career that's sure to be a success.

King is by no means new to the acting world. She performed with the Stage Door Theatre at age four and loved it so much she decided to keep pursuing it. "I asked my mom, I was like, 'Can we just do this for real?'" recounts King. Fortunately for us, Mom said yes, and Joey has hardly stopped acting since. As she says, "It's my dream. It was, and it still is, and it has been, and it's just really exciting and unreal to be here where I am now."

Her mother and family have stood by her ever since. Her sisters helped trigger her interest in acting, having both worked in entertainment, as did her grandmother, an avid performer in her younger days. Her parents are always behind her, and her mom accompanies her whenever she has to travel for a project. "They're all there for me and supporting me," she says, "and I just love having them around."

Life certainly keeps this girl busy. With all her appearances on both the big and the small screen, one would wonder if she ever had time to just enjoy being thirteen. But one visit to King's YouTube channel puts those concerns to rest. Her posts include an In-N-Out Rap under the pseudonym JoMamma, a clip of her tossing a giant rubber ball with New Girl's Max Greenfield, and a cinnamon challenge with BFF Emma Raimi, whom she met while working on Oz.

King recalls how she met the fellow thirteen-year-old late in the process of working on Oz: "I was doing voice work for the movie, and she came and I was like, 'Oh my God! Hi!' and Sam's like, 'I never knew that you guys hadn't met,' so we became really good friends after that."

But as nice as it is to have friends her age, King has no problem holding her own among the adult cast members. "James is just a big goofball, always teasing me, and so is Zach. And Michelle's so sweet, and Mila's so great," she says. "Sometimes being the only kid on a movie set is the most fun." If anything, the age difference made for a unique relationship dynamic with her fellow actors: "Zach and James really took me under their wing...like my big brothers."

Just like among real siblings, they got up to their share of pranks. When Zach Braff posted a picture of himself from Scrubs on the booth where Joey was recording, she not only responded in kind but topped it off with a nice toilet-papering of his booth. She says Braff was a good sport, sarcastically remarking, "Yeah. Well played, Miss King."

That banter continued during publicity for the film. King recalls with a smile how Braff sent her a text message on the way to the premiere asking about her outfit because "I don't want to be wearing the same thing. That'd be so embarrassing."

From her description, King earned not just texting buddies but some lifelong friends on this project, a blessing that no doubt helped her survive the lengthy filmmaking process-a period of close to two years. As she tells it, "I started filming Oz when I was eleven, and finished when I was thirteen!" After celebrating two birthdays on set, she commented to director Sam Raimi, "You know I've been working on this since I was eleven?" to which he replied, "Twenty percent of your life wasted! I'm sorry!" Of course, she doesn't view that time as a waste by any means. "I got to work with these amazing people, and it's sad now that it's over, you know? I love these guys."

Now that her work on Oz is drawing to a close, we can all hope to see more out of this young talent. It hasn't been an easy path, though. "It's hard because there's a lot of rejection, and you audition a lot," she says. "You get so close and then you don't get it, and you get really disappointed." For other kids hoping to pursue a similar path, she has this to say... "There's things that I've cried about because I wanted [them] so bad, but you just have to, you know, never give up and keep going... because you never know when success could happen." Fortunately, it did happen for her, and if we're lucky, it will continue happening.

You can check out Joey's performance in Disney's "Oz the Great and Powerful" in theaters this Friday, March 8.

The Men Behind the Curtain: James Franco and Sam Raimi Work Their Magic in "Oz The Great and Powerful!"

by J. Dana

Sam Raimi and James Franco have a knack for breathing new life into iconic pop-culture characters. Their Spider- Man trilogy caught over $2.4 billion in its global box-office web, and now they've set their sights on Oz, Frank L. Baum's over-the-rainbow land of munchkins, bubble-riding witches, winged monkeys and the Emerald City at the end of the yellow-brick road.

Disney's big-budget, 3-D "Oz The Great and Powerful" isn't a reboot or a straight adaptation, though. It "pays attention to the man behind the curtain" and takes a new look at everyone's favorite wizard, Oz himself, and creates a sort of cinematic prequel to Dorothy's ruby-slippers adventure.

"Sam, as most people that know his work would agree, has a great imagination," says Franco, who plays the film's title character. "I've worked with Sam more than with any other director, and I'd say one of the main things that Sam really brings to the table is his fantastic talent with effects and pacing and telling an exciting movie story through cutting-edge imagery and technology."

"But, he also cares just as much about the characters and the story," he continues. "He's the perfect person to bring this world alive with all the new technology that's out there. And, knowing Sam, he'll bring 'Oz The Great and Powerful' to life in all its fantastical splendor, while making it a great character piece."

For the part of the title character, Oscar "Oz" Diggs, director Sam Raimi sought out Franco. "James is a very sensitive guy and we really needed that for this character," he says. "We needed somebody who's in touch with his emotions because he plays a character with a good heart. I really needed an actor who had that quality within him. James, while funny and loving, has got real heart that he shares with the audience."

In preparation to portray Oz's most famous wizard, Franco actually took magic performance lessons. "I got to learn with Lance Burton, a great magician from Las Vegas," says Franco. "It was pretty fun. I got to learn quite a few pretty cool tricks that if I took them to parties, I probably would get a lot of attention."

Franco enjoyed taking on the part of "Oscar Diggs" and exploring the origins of the wizard. "He starts off a little bit rakish. He's a magician in a traveling circus," says Franco. "When he ends up in Oz, all of the issues that he wrestled with in the real world are now, in some ways, made more extreme but also transformative. The character was written in a certain way-part goofball, part con man, part seducer, part vaudeville guy, all of which appealed to me."

If Franco plays the man behind the curtain, then Sam Raimi is the man behind the man behind the curtain. You follow? "What I was trying to do and what I think the screenwriters were trying to do and the art department, prop department, were trying to set up Oz's knowledge as a tinkerer, Oz's awareness of Edison's kinescope and early motion picture cameras so that we could properly support the idea that he could have created this technology with the help of the tinkerers once he got to the land of Oz," says Raimi.

Dealing with such beloved, classic characters was a daunting task, but Raimi's experience with Spider- Man helped. "Spider-Man helped me because I learned that you can't be loyal to every detail of the book," he says. "Every filmmaker knows when you make a book into a movie the first thing you have to do is kill the book, unfortunately. You've got to re-create it. But I decided I could be truest to the fans of Baum's great work if I recognized what was great and moving and touching and most effective about those books to me."

"I just loved that the character was comedic," Franco says of Oz. "He could go into this world and bounce off it, rather than just be pulled into it smoothly, and I thought that was a very unique take on a world like this. As a performer this was the most enjoyable part of it."

See if you fall under Franco and Raimi's spell when "Oz The Great and Powerful" blows into theaters on March 8. Wicked witches beware! There's a new wizard in town!

Here is an extended bonus clip from the movie for you to check out:

Fun Oz Activities!

See if you can spot the difference in these two "Oz" photos! Click here!

Test your memory with this "Oz" memory game! Don't Forget to Click Here!

How good are you at mazes? Click here to print an "Oz Great and Powerful" one!

Click here to print a fun "Oz" mask to wear!