Oz the Great and Powerful

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)

Timing: 2:10 (130 min)

5.929/10
6724

6.26/10
129670

6.3/10
221000

All about film

Video 5

Photo 89

Actors and characters

Release date

2013-03-07

Country

United States

Production

Walt Disney Pictures, Roth Films, Curtis-Donen Productions

Genre

Fantasy, Adventure, Family

Budget

$215 000 000

Revenue

$493 311 825

Website

Director

Sam Raimi

Actors

James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff, Bill Cobbs, Joey King, Tony Cox, Stephen R. Hart, Abigail Spencer
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Joe Roth, Philip Steuer, Grant Curtis, Joshua Donen, Palak Patel

Operator

Peter Deming

Composer

Danny Elfman

Artist

Artie Contreras, Darrell L. Wight

Audition

John Papsidera

Editing

Bob Murawski
All team (170)

• Robert Downey Jr. and Johnny Depp were considered for the role of Oz.
• Blake Lively was offered the role of Glinda, but she declined in favor of Oliver Stone's "Savages" (2012).
• The film's main character is one of the most famous wizards in the world. Frank Baum introduced him to readers worldwide in his book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." From 1900 to 1920, Baum wrote 14 books set in the fictional world. However, none of them ever told the story of the all-powerful wizard's past. The film is a kind of cinematic prologue to the events described in the first book about the Land of Oz, and will tell the backstory of that very wizard. Most of the characters have moved directly from Baum's books to the screen. However, there will also be many new characters that viewers have never seen before, such as the Porcelain Doll and the Quadlings.
• James Franco, who plays the role of Oscar Diggs (also known as Oz), had to learn several magic tricks. This was the only way he could get into the character of the modest magician from a traveling circus. The actor's work on the set began two weeks before the official start of filming – that's how long it took Las Vegas magician Lance Burton to teach Franco his craft. The actor worked every day and mastered tricks with doves and fire. In addition, he learned to pull various objects out of a hat and make things levitate.
• The witches' costumes were created by German designer Michael Kutsche, ensuring they matched the overall vision of production designer Robert Stromberg. Kutsche worked on the witches' wardrobes together with his colleague Gary Jones.
• Costume designer Gary Jones and his team prepared wardrobes for more than 1500 actors, from the Munchkins to the giants of the Migons. This titanic task took the costume designers over 23 weeks. More than 200 costumes were prepared for the main characters (Oz, Theodora, Glinda, and Evanora) alone.
• James Franco appears on screen throughout the film in the same three-piece suit that Oz flew away in from Kansas. However, this suit was impeccably made. Costume designer Gary Jones carefully studied the specifics of fashion from 1880-1930. Then, the costumer met with Franco in New York and showed the actor old photographs featuring costumes from that era. Jones and Franco agreed on the final version of Oz’s costume – a strict black suit.
• The film used more than 3000 props, 1400 of which were handmade specifically for the film. This number does not include the 5000 coins that prop master Russell Bobbitt made specifically for Oz's treasure chest. One side of each of these coins depicts the Yellow Brick Road, and the other – a profile of writer L. Frank Baum.
• At the beginning of the film, Oz works with the "Baum Brothers Circus." This is a nod to the short story "Easter Egg" by L. Frank Baum, the author of the Oz series.
• This is the second film about the Land of Oz from Disney. The first was "Return to Oz" (1985).
• This film allowed Sam Raimi and Danny Elfman to mend their working relationship after a falling out during post-production of "Spider-Man 2" (2004).
• Before Sam Raimi took over the project, Sam Mendes and Adam Shankman were considered as directors for this film.
• The film's fantastical world was created by Oscar-winning production designer Robert Stromberg. He constructed sets for a total of 24 locations where the film's action unfolds. Including some interiors he also worked on, this amounts to 30 sets. Thanks to Stromberg, familiar objects from childhood appeared on screen, such as the Yellow Brick Road and the Emerald City. In addition, less recognizable but no less colorful locations were built: the Witches' Throne Room; the Whimsical Forest, where Oz meets Theodora; the Dark Forest, where viewers first see the good witch Glinda; and the Porcelain City, all of whose inhabitants are made of porcelain.
• The phrase spoken by James Franco, "You were there for me when any other sane ape would have run," is a reference to the actor's other film, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (2011).
• Blake Lively was offered the role of Glinda but turned it down in favor of Oliver Stone's "Savages" (2012).
• At the beginning of the film, Oz works with "Baum's Brothers Circus." This is a nod to a "Easter egg" story by L. Frank Baum, the author of the Oz book series.
• This is the second Oz film from Disney. The first was "Return to Oz" (1985).
• This film helped to mend the working relationship between Sam Raimi and Danny Elfman after their falling out during post-production of "Spider-Man 2" (2004).
• The phrase spoken by James Franco's character, "You were there for me when any other sensible ape would have run away," is a reference to the actor's other film, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (2011).