DARK OZ Trilogy in the Works

By: Jarrod Sarafin
Date: Monday, March 03, 2008

Hip-hop artist Pras Michel of the musical group Fugees has optioned film and TV rights to comic series Dark Oz, reports Variety. The original comic series was published by Caliber Comics. The screenplay was penned from the original source creators Aaron Deneberg, Ralph Griffith and Stuart Kerr. The plan is to begin production at the end of 2008.

Plot Concept: Beginning with a tribute to the original story, Fank L. Baum's The Wizard of Oz, the tale begins with three 90’s era twenty-somethings being swept away from our Earth to the land of Oz via tornado. There they discover that sinister forces have been at work, and the evil Nome King now rules the land with an iron fist and an army of rock-dwelling minions. Having become unwilling freedom fighters in a world not their own, Earthlings Peter, Kevin, and Mary (as well as Kevin’s dog, Max) soon play a central role in ridding the once-beautiful Oz of the Nome King’s dark influence.

The trio are first separated in a battle with bad Munchkins and Mary is saved by the stick-figure Jack Pumpkinhead. She then meets Sawhorse, Ombi Ambi, Jinjur, Hammerhead and Wogglebug: the Freedom Fighters of Oz. Kevin and Peter barely escape from a Kaidah, a creature half tiger and half bear. Many adventures occur before the three Earthers are reunited. They must face Witch Mombi and her Ladies Auxilliary Brigade, an army of enslaved Winged Monkeys, and giant spiders in an underground cavern. They must also find a way to defeat the Three Evil Kings of Oz: Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman, and Lion! And if that weren't enough, they still have to defeat the Nome King and all his magical devices, and save Queen Ozma to return Oz to its former glory! Adventure and danger are mixed with whimsy and humor in a totally unique version of a classic fairy tale land.

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Comments/Responses

countzenith • Mar 03, 2008, 01:56am •

I liked this series when it first came out on caliber comics as OZ. It was Bill Bryans covers that got me to look at it. I got the whole series plus specials, but I dropped when it went to Arrow and became Dark Oz. The beginning of the story had a nice dark tone to it. The three main characters are sucked into a book by a magical tornado and then have to face the possessed scarecrow, tinman and lion. The two men first meet the scarecrow who is very menacing. As the series went on, I think it lost its dark fantasy tone for more of an adventure tone.
So I can see this going either the Narnia way or the Pan's Labyrinth way.

WISEGUY562 • Mar 03, 2008, 06:41am •

Never read it and probably won't, but it does sound interesting enough. As long as it's not too kiddy oriented I'm willing to give this a chance. Hopefully the word dark here is meant more figuratively than literally.

rgtchtiger • Mar 03, 2008, 07:26am •

I foresee many a parent taking their children to a revisioning of Wizard of Oz, only to find a rather violent, dark, and creepy tale this time around. I'm not sure the adult crowd would be large enough to make this film successful, and I don't see teens going to this movie.

FrozenFear • Mar 03, 2008, 08:05am •

Sounds like they took the 1985 Disney flick "Return to Oz" and replaced Dorothy with the three twenty-year-olds. Don't get me wrong: I'm all in for a dark take on the Wizard of Oz as long as it's done well.

lister • Mar 03, 2008, 08:59am •

90�s era twenty-somethings? They're my FAVORITE!

captm0rgan77 • Mar 03, 2008, 08:59am •

I'm with you Frozen. I remember watching 'Return to Oz' and finding it a little bit more enjoyable than the first. I believe, after watching it, I went to the library and found a small series of books that also expanded off of the first Oz movie and having darker overtones, but not like 'Pan's Labyrinth' more like the later Harry Potter books.
If done well this could be cool. I'm hoping for an R trilogy but will be happy with a hard PG-13. The same goes for the revisioning Alice movie, whenever that gets off of the ground.

nimerod • Mar 03, 2008, 09:16am •

I think there is too much "deliver this magical world from tyrannie" in todays film series. After LOTR, we have Narnia and the rival studios counterpart, now this...It is a little too much. Remember me of the 80's when we had Labyrinthe, Never Ending Stories, Legend(with Tom Cruise lol) The Dark dwarf movie..(with an Harry potter character..) etc etc...Too much.

jkjokeman • Mar 03, 2008, 12:46pm •

this would be so awesome if it was directed by John Hughes
Jeremy lesser times I have gone down that path

metalwater • Mar 03, 2008, 02:51pm •

What about the comic Warriors Of Oz???

vonstueben1960 • Mar 03, 2008, 07:22pm •

This project began in 1994, before the LOTR films, Narnia and the lot, as Caliber Comics' and Arrow Comics' OZ and DARK OZ respectively. The "DARK" was added to differentiate the title when it switched between the two companies.

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DARK OZ Trilogy in the Works

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