Grab the KY Gel kiddies, the Wizard of Oz is getting another “take” called Dark Oz and looks to be helmed by Pras Michel of the R&B group the Fugees.
Hip-hop artist Pras Michel of the Fugees has optioned film and TV rights to comic series “Dark Oz,” originally published by Caliber Comics. Storyline follows an older Dorothy Gale in a “gothic and more macabre” setting as she journeys through Oz with the characters known to millions via Frank L. Baum’s “Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”
Now despite the candy coated lollipop guild, I always thought that Oz was kind of a dark story to begin with. It ranks among the classics and is flattered even more passionately through imitation countless times in tv and film history. Even Michael Jackson’s film debut was in The Wiz. A musical paralell to the Wizard of Oz
My concern about this is just how many alternative takes on Oz are we going to see. I am not talking about that prison show, I mean the all powerful all knowing Oz. Kay?
Last year there was a miniseries called TinMan with the infectiously adorable Zooey Dreschanel and Alan Cumming. It was SciFi Network’s highest rated TV event yet. Ever. The stage musical Wicked still gets rave reviews and long waits for tickets. Even the Muppets got their hand at remaking the classic (a tradition for Muppet Movies). There have been a good handful of TV movies offering remakes or continuations of the story as well.
So now we look at the comic book that is inspired by the tale of Dorothy Gale. Dark Oz. Dark Horse published this garrish lesser known varient of the Oz tale, and so far I cannot find any reviews about it.
Usually I would be all up in arms over a popstar helming a movie, but Pras has had some hand in producing and so far he has just been said to have acquired the rights to it.
This is how I like my popstars in movies. People with money to burn paying OTHER people to make a movie for them.
