Muppet Wizard of Oz to film in September

[AruggeRadio]

Thats cool. I never understood why Disney sold the DVD Rights to Anchor Bay in the first place. True Return to Oz was a huge financial disaster, and was a part of the time Disney almost completely went out of business (Yes people in the mid 80's Disney was pretty close to shutting down). But i never understood why turn your back on your history. But good to see there is a Disney version of the film. I will defiantly have to check that out.

 

[Gideon]

ok so I see Piggy as both witches we can see what happens she has a fight w/ kermit in muppet treasure island but also I to answer the wizard question most people would think honeydew personally I think Rowlf come on the man is mysterious just like the "GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ" also in the book even though I'm disapointed Piggy won't belch over the rainbow I think the MGM classic w/muppets would kick a** or maybe waldorf and statler I mean the wizard likes to be mean but waldorf and statler make mean jokes about the shows

 

[McFraggle]

I can't really see Rowlf as the Wizard. I don't really know where he would fit in the movie.

 

[beaker]

Thats cool. I never understood why Disney sold the DVD Rights to Anchor Bay in the first place. True Return to Oz was a huge financial disaster, and was a part of the time Disney almost completely went out of business (Yes people in the mid 80's Disney was pretty close to shutting down). But i never understood why turn your back on your history. But good to see there is a Disney version of the film. I will defiantly have to check that out.

thus perpetuating the rumor that JHC was in informal talks to buyout Disney back then. Funny to think how the Muppets ruled the 70's and 80's, but Disney was a floundering fish...and now JHC virtually evaporated into a last ditch sale, and its Disney who owns half the world.

Btw, when the heck is Disney gonan release Song of the South? Its a wonderful and important film Disney pretends doesnt even exist.

 

[Randlev]

Btw, when the heck is Disney gonan release Song of the South? Its a wonderful and important film Disney pretends doesnt even exist.

*correction, disney only pretends it doesn't exist here in the States. It's been released on video all over the world except for the USA. And I know a week or two ago it was airing on British TV. I don't think it's Disney's fault that they haven't released it, I think it's the NAACP that won't allow Disney to release it. And I know Disney has tried to get a prominent African-American actor to do an introduction for it explaining that the time it came out was a very different time in history when people had different views on certain things. But I don't know how unintentionally racist it actually is, I've never seen the movie.

All that being said, why doesn't the mouse house just start filming the Muppet Wizard of Oz allready!??!?!?

 

[Don'tLiveonMoon]

I thought "Return to Oz" was a good movie, and to tell you the truth I liked that Dorothy a lot better. Judy Garland always bothered me.

The dual Piggy thing sounds cool, along with the rest of the cast. I could see Natalie Portman as Dorothy, and it would work especially well if there was some sort of love triangle angle as Phil suggested. That wouldn't really make sense with a 10-year-old. But I do like the idea of having an actual kid play Dorothy too.
Erin

 

[Gideon]

besides bunsen honeydew seems to nice to be the wizard he's very un mysterious the other ones I suggested are definetly more mysterious like himself

 

[Randlev]

I'm sure a thread may pop up soon, but be sure to check out JimHillMedia.com for the latest news on the Muppets' Wizard of Oz, Kirk Thatcher's back at the helm, and Disney is pouring lots and lots of money into this baby. Word is that Disney and Henson are differing in their hopes for who should play Dorothy, Disney wants Anne Hathaway, Henson wants Natalie Portman. A compromise might be reached, but either of those stars seem perfect to me. An announcement is expected within a week or so. Anyway, as much as you don't like Jim Hill, check out the site cause the article's got some great info!

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I'd vote for Anne Hathaway of the two of them.

 

[mb22]

more from Jim Hill

The Jim Hill piece also states:

As you might expect, given that Miss Piggy & pals are involved in this prodiction, this TV movie will be a very loose adaption of the Baum story. Take -- for example -- the film's main character, Dorothy Gale. Instead of being this simple little girl from Kansas, Dorothy is now a young woman who longs to leave the plains for someplace like NYC to LA so that she can begin a singing career.

Of course, her Aunt Em and her Uncle Henry don't understand Dorothy's show biz ambitions. (FYI: Aunt Em, Uncle Henry and Dorothy will all be played by really-for-real human beings. This is a deliberate choice by the "Muppets' Wizard of Oz" production team, with the hope that this will help emotionally ground the TV movie's story.) Which is Dorothy thinks that she'll never escape Kansas. Until one day when a tornado scopes her up and ... Well, you know the rest of the story from here, right?

And aren't both Hathaway and Portman trying to get into more 'adult' roles, particularly the former, whole upcoming film HAVOC is said to be pretty explicit? And aren't both actresses rather pricey for a made for TV movie?