Nearly a hundred years after his death, the man who brought so much joy to generations of readers and cinemagoers alike, L. Frank Baum, is the subject of another movie. The celebrated author of The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz, and indeed the entire Oz series, will be the centre of a biopic entitled Road To Oz.
The story will revolve around the author’s early days as a struggling writer. While he’s now famous for bringing the world of Oz to life, there was indeed a time when he fought to pay his rent. Alas, there’s little else known about the narrative so far. Snapped up by New Line Cinema, the spec script was written by newcomer Josh Golden. Having just this week landed a place as a finalist in the 2014 Academy Nicholl Fellowship, it’s a smokin’ hawt property that was bound to get attention – even if it doesn’t win the much-coveted fellowship.
It’s safe to say that public interest in all things Oz hasn’t waned. The first novel was published was in 1900, and the Judy Garland musical didn’t land until 1939. More recently, Sam Raimi’s prequel, Oz The Great And Powerful, didn’t exactly set the box office alight or venture into anything new but was still a quirksome jab at the Oz legend.
The ‘story behind the story’ is a trend that’s definitely on the rise, so it’s safe to say audiences are still keen for true-life tales about classic fiction. In the last decade we’ve had Finding Neverland, which took a look at the life of Peter Pan author JM Barrie with Johnny Depp in the starring role. Furthermore, last year’s Saving Mr. Banks with Emma Thompson as the cantankerous Mary Poppins’ author was a massive smash, wending the path between sickly sweet and enticing.
We’ll keep you posted with more news on Road To Oz as it arrives. For now, though, tell us, are you excited?