The Playlist is reporting that Abigail Spencer, who has appeared in such shows as Mad Men and Hawthorne, as well as the upcoming film Cowboys & Aliens, has been cast in Sam Raimi‘s Oz: The Great and Powerful.
Spencer joins a cast that already includes James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Joey King and Zach Braff. The story “follows Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmanuel Ambroise Diggs (Franco), a showman and magician at a traveling circus who flees in a hot air balloon after being caught canoodling with a customer’s wife only to be swept away in a terrible storm to wake up in the magical land of Oz, which is run by two magical wicked witches (Kunis and Weisz).”
Williams will be playing Glenda the Good Witch while Braff will be playing Franco’s assistant. Spencer’s part will apparently be a small appearance as someone who participates in Oz’s tricks in Kansas.
This sounds like a really interesting project, and with someone as talented as Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead) behind the camera, it’s in great hands. The cast is shaping up to be pretty good as well. Franco, fresh off of his Oscar-nominated performance in 127 Hours, rarely disappoints (the Oscars are a distant memory now). Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine) and Mila Kunis (Black Swan) likewise gave great performances last year.
The film is set to begin production later this month in Michigan with a current release date of March 8, 2013.