Of the many Oz inspired projects on the go currently Sam Raimi’s Oz the Great and Powerful is the most intriguing and if this plot description from Pajiba has any scent of truth about it then it’ll be a nicely subversive jaunt down the yellow brick road.
Though there’s been no official announcement the name of Robert Downey Jr. is never far from talk of Raimi’s Oz movie and as the Wizard of Oz in waiting his character is not as homespun as we’ve been led to believe. The conman aspect of his character is established already, and we also knew that the film would detail his own journey to Oz before setting up as resident Wizard. But, now there’s more.
The description is given a lightly lascivious write up and reads thus, the Wizard is…
a snake-oil salesman posing as a magician — enter Oz via a hot-air balloon, which he uses to escape an angry husband who has found out that Oz slept with his wife.
There, Oz — a fast-talking huckster who wears a velveteen frock coat falls in love with Glinda (the Good Witch), and the two combine forces to Fight the Evil Witches Evanora and Theodora.
Theodora starts out as a good witch, but after Oz jilts her sexual advances, Evanora — the truly evil witch — convinces Theodora to become an evil witch with her and help her to rule all of Oz.
Both Evanora and Theodora are described as incredibly attractive, seductive women, and Theodora likes to wear black, thigh-high boots.
With that narrative I can’t imagine anyone better than Downey Jr. for the part, and if this brings a Wickedly inspired twist on the stories of L. Frank Baum, who are we to deny Raimi his turn over the rainbow?
