Hollywood has been churning out the remakes lately, and with a very few notable exceptions, most of them have been panned.
The originals have a place in our hearts and minds, and sometimes, they’re so inextricably tied to the times when we first saw them that there’s no way anything could be seen as an improvement.
That goes about a hundred times more for movies that are actual classics, like The Wizard of Oz.
Image Credit: MGM
The movie has been exactly perfect, with the exactly perfect cast, since the day it hit theaters, but for some reason, the powers that be in Hollywood don’t pay any mind to the expression “you can’t improve upon perfection.”
According to Variety, a remake of The Wizard of Oz is not only happening, but there may already be a director attached – Nicole Kassell, who cut her teeth on episodes of Watchmen, The Leftovers, and The Americans.
Excellent shows, all, but I mean. We’re talking about Judy Garland, here.
Image Credit: MGM
Still, Kassell thinks she can bring something new and worthy to the screen.
“While the 1939 musical is part of my DNA, I am exhilarated and humbled by the responsibility of re-imagining such a legendary tale.
The opportunity to examine the original themes – the quest for courage, love, wisdom, and a home – feels more timely and urgent than ever.
These are profoundly iconic shoes to fill, and I am eager to dance alongside these heroes of my childhood as we pave a newly minted yellow brick road!”
She’s enthusiastic, at least, so I guess that’s something.
The film we all know and love is, of course, a remake too, though a 1910 version is the only earlier adaptation that still exists.
If nothing else, the technology to create more realistic looking creatures, and to paint the characters with makeup that won’t try to kill them – Buddy Ebsen (Tin Man) ended up in the hospital after his makeup obstructed his airway and Margaret Hamilton (The Wicked Witch of the West) was burned when her green makeup caught fire.
Image Credit: MGM
Aside from the mutilation and near-death, the old-timey feel of things is part of the charm, no?
Plenty of offshoots of the original material have done well – The Wiz, Return to Oz, and of course, the huge theatrical success of Wicked, also adapted from a book.
You’ll be seeing that on the big screen sometime soon, too, if Hollywood has it’s way – so I guess it’s time to welcome the tornado and accept we’re all going back to Oz, whether we want to or not.
