The Great and Powerful Oz question.

ratherbeinwdw

ratherbeinwdw

Well-Known Member
JohnLocke said:
I'll admit to not having finished the book yet, but the play's really good, I've seen it twice so far. It has a much lighter tone than the book, and falls into a sort of Beauty and the Beast category. It may not be completely appropriate for all ages, but it's close.
Click to expand...

The stage show is marvelous!!! Saw it at the Fox in Atlanta. Would love to have seen it again, but tickets were extremely hard to come by. The music is amazing. I saw nothing offensive or scary to children. They did change the ending a little. I won't say how, as not to ruin it for some.
 
Lisalyn

Lisalyn

Well-Known Member
bubbles1812 said:
Oh, just the part I highlighted is pretty much the summary I would give to anyone to ask what Wicked is about. Wasn't a knock against you at all :) ... I was just amused that at least some of the plot is going to focus on that (though I'd gotten that even from the trailers). Though they don't have the rights to Wicked (Universal does and will have a film out think 2014, as someone in the thread said) so I'm sure it'll be different. But still, obviously are trying to indirectly capitalize on the popularity of the Broadway show (both with that specific plot line and just with making above about Oz as a whole).
Click to expand...

Ah ok - I didn't take it as a knock! :) That makes perfect sense what you are saying now. Personally I'm looking forward to seeing the movie...I think James Franco will do Oz justice. He's a great actor!
 
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
bubbles1812 said:
Though they don't have the rights to Wicked (Universal does and will have a film out think 2014, as someone in the thread said) so I'm sure it'll be different. But still, obviously are trying to indirectly capitalize on the popularity of the Broadway show (both with that specific plot line and just with making above about Oz as a whole).
Click to expand...
Universal has the rights to the musical, they were even involved in the stage production and Universal Studios Japan used to have an Oz land with a short version of the musical, but ABC was looking to do a mini series based on the book. Could it be that Oz the Great and Powerful will use elements from the books?
 
bubbles1812

bubbles1812

Well-Known Member
lazyboy97o said:
Universal has the rights to the musical, they were even involved in the stage production and Universal Studios Japan used to have an Oz land with a short version of the musical, but ABC was looking to do a mini series based on the book. Could it be that Oz the Great and Powerful will use elements from the books?
Click to expand...

Oh, I didn't know ABC was ever looking to do that. So maybe the do have rights to the books...though honestly, have you read the books? I'd rate the books at definitely "PG-13" in terms of content and themes. There are a lot of things both implied and just flat out stated. The Wizard isn't some just misguided person. He is really corrupt and tyrannical in the book (and in the musical to a lesser degree). There are a few murders too that are caused by him and another antagonist. And it's implied that he leaves to commit suicide at the end. Adultery and religious zealotry are another of the heavy concepts in the book. And that's just some of the things that go on.

Now if you tone down all those concepts or take them out entirely in some places you basically get most of the plot of the musical (though they did just outright change a few things too and for the better). So I'd say they almost have to pull more from Wicked the musical than Wicked the books...even if they can't exactly say that because they don't have the rights.
 
Chriscampbell

Chriscampbell

Member
Wicked the movie, I personally feel won't come out in 2014, at the moment it's purely speculation, they seem to waiting on the time when the musical is not earning as much profits and considering as far as I know the show is getting stronger year by year, so I guess it's a wait and see game. I would be slightly worried about a Wicked movie, considering I don't see how they could justice to the show.
 
bubbles1812

bubbles1812

Well-Known Member
Chriscampbell said:
Wicked the movie, I personally feel won't come out in 2014, at the moment it's purely speculation, they seem to waiting on the time when the musical is not earning as much profits and considering as far as I know the show is getting stronger year by year, so I guess it's a wait and see game. I would be slightly worried about a Wicked movie, considering I don't see how they could justice to the show.
Click to expand...
Well, as per deadline (a very recent deadline report), they currently courting the director Stephen Daldry to direct so I think development of it may be a little farther along than you think. That would imply that there at least is some sort of script out there and probably some conceptual designs. That being said, I can definitely understand them waiting til the interest in the show seems to be waning (which, there hasn't been any sign of so far...think it's consistently in the top two each week on Broadway and that's still after it's been playing for years). I think they could do justice to the musical. no, it probably wouldn't be good as the play but then what is ever as good as the original? Books are usually always better than than the movies that are based but there are still some really excellent movies based on books. Same goes for musicals. I guess this is one thing I'd try to stay optimistic on, at least until we know more, though I do understand your worry at the same time. :)
 
Bairstow

Bairstow

Well-Known Member
I don't suppose Oz the Great and Powerful is going to be a musical, is it?
It really ought to be.
Also, is it my imagination or do musical films tend to do really well these days?
 
marni1971

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
WDW1974 said:
Oz is being considered for DL as a new mini-land, but much will depend on the box office ... and how it compares with another tentpole that is much more likely (from industry observers) to have franchise written all over it.

But this has nothing to do with WDW. Enjoy all the new timeshares and wait and hope for Avatarland and then 2021 because you KNOW Disney just has to do something then, right?
Click to expand...
Took the words out of my mouth. Sadly.
 
Bairstow

Bairstow

Well-Known Member
Even at MGM? I would imagine that there will be plenty of real estate to play with when they finally close the "backlot" tour.
 
Can we go yet?

Can we go yet?

Active Member
I think my sister will be rather peeved that this movie probably won't be in canon to Wicked, though I think the trailer promises for a great movie. I did love Wicked the play, I always figured it could do well with Disney Animation. I love how we have those curly hills like the ones in Nightmare before Christmas in Oz. :D I'd love to see something like Oz come to Orlando instead of Avatar land though...
 
J

JohnLocke

Member
Chriscampbell said:
Wicked the movie, I personally feel won't come out in 2014, at the moment it's purely speculation, they seem to waiting on the time when the musical is not earning as much profits and considering as far as I know the show is getting stronger year by year, so I guess it's a wait and see game. I would be slightly worried about a Wicked movie, considering I don't see how they could justice to the show.
Click to expand...

I don't think the stage version's profitability is really a problem, they're pretty different animals, and people will still see the stage version long after a movie has come out. Just look at some of the other stage productions currently on Broadway and how they're grossing with movies already available of them:

The Lion King - the top grosser last week with 2M and nearly 100% capacity
Newsies - No. 5 1M and over 100%
Mary Poppins - No. 7 nearly 1M and nearly 90%
Phantom of the Opera - No. 8 nearly 1M and nearly 90%
Mamma Mia - No. 10 850k and 85%
Evita - 650k and 70%
Chicago - 570k and 82%
Rock of Ages - 500k and nearly 100%

While the first three are probably unfair, since they began as movies and have differences here and there after being transferred to the stage. Phantom's still performing fairly well to be over 20 and have an 8 year old movie, as is Chicago and Mamma Mia. Evita is a revival that came long after the movie and had a large dip week to week, and also relied heavily on its star power to carry it. Rock of Ages is performing the best of this bunch and has a movie that was just released.

So I think that's good evidence that the movie doesn't have a major effect on whether a person goes to a live performance or not. As long as the show feels relevant, it's going to have a live audience.
 
J

JohnLocke

Member
ratherbeinwdw said:
The stage show is marvelous!!! Saw it at the Fox in Atlanta. Would love to have seen it again, but tickets were extremely hard to come by. The music is amazing. I saw nothing offensive or scary to children. They did change the ending a little. I won't say how, as not to ruin it for some.
Click to expand...

No doubt. Personally, I'd have no problem taking any children to it, and would if I had something and knew they'd be able to behave in a theater. But I realize that some are a bit more sensitive depending on the subject matter, and that's why I said in another post that the only thing I could find that I'd see was at all objectionable, the mother's affair, is glossed over in the course of probably less than a minute.
 
jlsHouston

jlsHouston

Well-Known Member
somewhere over the rainbow...I have to confess the original Wizard of Oz movie captured my heart when I was a child and I have always loved it!
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom