Oz - Tony Baxter's Final Project

[Ignohippo]

I'm assuming your talking about Dumbo's Circusland and a sort of Kansas fairground as an entrance for an Oz ride.

Disney isn't sure if they're going to make a sequel to Oz the Great and Powerful. It made about $500 million worldwide, so Disney gets half of that gross, that comes out about to $250 million, the film costed about $210 million to make, plus maybe $150 for advertising (?) . . . Disney will be looking at merchandising/DVD sales to break even. They commissioned a script for sequel . . . but Oz wasn't an Alice in Wonderland sized hit, and they are going to do an Alice 2 with Depp.

I think Franco was a mistake for the film, even though I liked it a lot more than I thought I would based on the reviews of the film.

The Oz ride/land is toast, IMHO.

Oz was missing one major thing that Alice had (and it wasn't Depp) – Tim Burton

Alice2 without Burton = Disaster.

 

[PeterAlt]

I disagree, both on the idea of putting it in Frontierland and the notion that you don't need a particular version.
In the public's eye it's more or less impossible to separate the concept of "Oz" from the 1939 film.
Presenting anything else would just disappoint or confuse people.
Not that I see Disney shelling out the money to do this. They already pay through the nose for every second of the Oz sequence in the Great Movie Ride.

For the MK, I think it would fit behind Haunted Mansion. You would need to get there through Fantasyland and it would be a logical transition.

 

[Figments Friend]

The Oz project for DL is a pet project of Tony's and has been for many years.
He is a HUGE huge Oz fan and collector and for years has had ideas for a Oz-themed area for DL.
The sudden talk about the topic over the past few months was simply spurred on by the release of the recent Oz related film.

As most DL historians probably already are aware of, putting a Oz-themed attraction into DL was one of Walt's original ideas for DL but it was scrapped.
Search out the project 'Candy Mountain' that Tony's mentor Claude Coats was working on for Walt and learn more about it...or better yet, just pull out your copy of 'Imagineering at It's Peak : The Disney Mountains' book by Jason Surell.

I would'nt say this was Tony's 'last project'...as he has been working on this little mini-land in his mind and through his art supplies for years.
One of these days will shall get a peek over his shoulder.

Tony, ya have to write that book of yours one of these days...with lots of color art prints !

 

[Disneyhead'71]

The Oz project for DL is a pet project of Tony's and has been for many years.
He is a HUGE huge Oz fan and collector and for years has had ideas for a Oz-themed area for DL.
The sudden talk about the topic over the past few months was simply spurred on by the release of the recent Oz related film.

As most DL historians probably already are aware of, putting a Oz-themed attraction into DL was one of Walt's original ideas for DL but it was scrapped.
Search out the project 'Candy Mountain' that Tony's mentor Claude Coats was working on for Walt and learn more about it...or better yet, just pull out your copy of 'Imagineering at It's Peak : The Disney Mountains' book by Jason Surell.

I would'nt say this was Tony's 'last project'...as he has been working on this little mini-land in his mind and through his art supplies for years.
One of these days will shall get a peek over his shoulder.

Tony, ya have to write that book of yours one of these days...with lots of color art prints !

What if someone one that wasn't Disney wanted to build an Oz land anchored by a new E Ticket and a shortened version of major musical stage show and offered Tony the lead? You know, just as a side gig. Would he bite?

 

[Figments Friend]

What if someone one that wasn't Disney wanted to build an Oz land anchored by a new E Ticket and a shortened version of major musical stage show and offered Tony the lead? You know, just as a side gig. Would he bite?

Only he would be able to give you the answer you seek.


If you want my own personal opinion, i doubt he would as it is clear he is very committed to his work within the Disney organization.
He is a 'lifer' and will always have his heart there, regardless of the difficulties he has had to endure.
It has been a part of his life for so long ( fifty years+ now ) that going off to do such a project for 'someone else' may well feel like a betrayal of sorts.
It is hard for me to imagine him wandering off and doing a project with another company, but anything is possible.
The man's passion for certain projects is second to none !

I remember back when he announced his 'retirement' ( actually, just a role change..) fans were speculating that he might move over and work on projects with Universal Creative.
The general vibe from people more closely connected to him was that it would not be something he would likely partake in, mainly due to his personal commitment to WDI.

 

[hopemax]

Only he would be able to give you the answer you seek.


If you want my own personal opinion, i doubt he would as it is clear he is very committed to his work within the Disney organization.
He is a 'lifer' and will always have his heart there, regardless of the difficulties he has had to endure.
It has been a part of his life for so long ( fifty years+ now ) that going off to do such a project for 'someone else' may well feel like a betrayal of sorts.
It is hard for me to imagine him wandering off and doing a project with another company, but anything is possible.
The man's passion for certain projects is second to none !

I remember back when he announced his 'retirement' ( actually, just a role change..) fans were speculating that he might move over and work on projects with Universal Creative.
The general vibe from people more closely connected to him was that it would not be something he would likely partake in, mainly due to his personal commitment to WDI.

I suspect Disneyhead didn't bump a 2-yr old thread for a mere "hypothetical." Which means he knows something and is a big tease.

 

[Figments Friend]

I suspect Disneyhead didn't bump a 2-yr old thread for a mere "hypothetical." Which means he knows something and is a big tease.

Perhaps.
I thought it odd when i saw this come up.....

Well, like i said in the post he quoted me from - Tony is a HUGE huge 'Oz' fan.
Anything is possible.

 

[Donald Razorduck]

There was a proposed Oz theme park for just outside KC from the Goddard Group out past the racetrack, Shlitterbahn and Great Wolf are at. I wonder with improving economic conditions if this gets revisited one day.
http://www.thegoddardgroup.com/blog...old-by-the-parks-creator-gary-goddard-part-1/

Also, a small proposed park in Texas City, TX mentioned having a themed area to OZ. The city put out bids for the infrastructure needed to buildd this park recenty. Adventure Pointe is the name.

 

[Sped2424]

What if someone one that wasn't Disney wanted to build an Oz land anchored by a new E Ticket and a shortened version of major musical stage show and offered Tony the lead? You know, just as a side gig. Would he bite?

....Did you bump this thread with a hint? or did you not know that this was a 2 year old thread...

 

[Darth Sidious]

Well, supposedly there's a sequel coming, but that doesn't mean that any Oz project will eventually be built. Frankly, I'm not sure if I really want one. I thought "Oz the Great and Powerful" was okay, but not nearly as good as MGM's 1939 version.

I think they should've ponied up some money to get some music or something from the old movie. I think it needed a little bit of familiarity, I didn't think the movie was bad though it is just really hard to tap into the same IP as an all time movie classic.

Edit: sorry @Magenta Panther for quoting a two year old post!

 

[Disneyhead'71]

....Did you bump this thread with a hint? or did you not know that this was a 2 year old thread...

Let's just say I probably won't make Santa's nice list this year.

Let's see, that makes....ummmm, 51 years straight.

 

[Mike S]

Let's just say I probably won't make Santa's nice list this year.

Let's see, that makes....ummmm, 51 years straight.

The nice list is overrated anyway.

 

[GhostHost1000]

I'm not sure Oz did well enough to foster a land at MK....

I agree....I'm not sure the OZ movie did well enough to foster a land at six flags lol

 

[Sped2424]

Let's just say I probably won't make Santa's nice list this year.

Let's see, that makes....ummmm, 51 years straight.

 

[Duckfan]

The Black Cauldron comes to mind as an example of what I'm talking about. The story board art created during the 70's is so much different than the gloomy art created in the early 80's (before Eisner) that was used in the final product. In fact, Eisner himself sat in the editing room before its release and cut out some of the darkest moments of the film.

Actually it was Katzenberg who cut several minutes from the finished film.

 

[MKeeler]

What if someone one that wasn't Disney wanted to build an Oz land anchored by a new E Ticket and a shortened version of major musical stage show and offered Tony the lead? You know, just as a side gig. Would he bite?

So.....something Wicked?

 

[Sped2424]

So the question is..is Wicked UNIVERSALly loved? @Disneyhead'71

 

[Disneyhead'71]

So the question is..is Wicked UNIVERSALly loved? @Disneyhead'71

Yes. Universal owns Wicked.

 

[MKeeler]

And are we thinking a Wicked island adventure or studio space?

 

[MarkTwain]

Is the thinking that it would go into Islands? That would allow Studios to get Nintendo-land and Islands to get the Oz expansion. And would continue the theme of always having something under development in each park (Diagon/Kong). Maybe it would finally replace Toon Lagoon... don't know if there's room for a theater there though.