 |
| Rachel Weisz as Evanora? |
The last time we heard about some Oz-project was that Sam Raimi is taking over the director seat for the prequel to the 1939 "The Wizard of Oz". The prequel is entitled "Oz: The Great and Powerful", which also serves as a prequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) by L. Frank Baum. Recently, Sam Raimi has added James Franco and Mila Kunis into the casting, playing the titular character Oz and Theadora (spoiler alert - one of the evil witch in the original movie) respectively. Now, he may be adding Rachel Weisz into the list as well.
According to Coming Soon, Rachel Weisz is up and close to land on the role of the evil witch Evanora in the Sam Raimi's production. Not much of details been furthered out yet since Weisz is still in the negotiations to take the role but we all know she will be a villainess. It is exciting indeed to see Weisz returning to much bigger production after years alluring in smaller titles with modest success. All the years, she has fantastic and critical performances in smaller scale movies like The Constant Gardener (for which she won a Supporting Best Actress in Oscar), My Blueberry Nights, The Brothers Bloom and Agora. The last time I saw her on screen was in The Lovely Bones last year. At one time, she was reported to have been considered as a villainess in Bond 23, playing one of those working under the Quantum organization.
The movie stars James Franco. He will play the titular character, younger version of the Wizard of Oz (otherwise also known as epithet for Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs (O.Z.P.I.N.H.E.A.D.)) from the 1939 classic movie. Oz is the salesman from Omaha, Nebraska who winds up in Oz following the balloon accident. Mila Kunis is also attached in for the role of Theodora, a good witch alongside her beautiful sister Glinda and also the sister of Evanora who have been trying to seduce her to the dark side.
With that, it leaves only one role left to be sorted out which is Glinda. If you remembered the original movie well, Glinda was the Good Witch of the North. Currently, wildfires are around suggesting anyone from Olivia Wilde, Amy Adams, Kate Beckinsale, Kiera Knightley and Rebecca Hall could be snubbing up the role.
The movie will be told from the point of view of the Wizard. It tells how the Wizard arrived in Oz and how he became the ruler. Here's the summary of the movie scheduled for release in 2013:
"James Franco portrays a fast-talking snake oil salesman and illusionist who flees a traveling circus and winds up whisked away in a hot air balloon by a tornado to Oz where he must face off against real magic and the sisters battling for control of the land. Theodora starts out as a good witch, alongside her beautiful sister Glinda, but after her sexual advances are jilted by Franco's salesman, she's convinced by Evanora to switch sides and help her older sister rule Oz."
[SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter, Coming Soon, Slash Film]
