The Playlist

Zach Braff Joins 'Oz The Great And Powerful'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 27, 2011 3:26 AM
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2 Comments

It looks like the indie kid that could is getting ready to make his leap into the tentpole world.

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'Oz: The Great And Powerful' Will Battle 'Elysium' On March 8, 2013

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 25, 2011 4:46 AM
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1 Comment

Update: Soon to be 12 year old Joey King is making her classmates jealous. After recently joining "The Dark Knight Rises," the child actress has also joined "Oz The Great And Powerful" in the role of China Girl reports Variety. In the film, her character is taken under the wing of Oz (Franco) after Evanora (Weisz) destroys her porcelain family.

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Michelle Williams To Make Tentpole Debut As Good Witch Glinda In 'Oz The Great & Powerful'

By Oliver Lyttelton
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May 17, 2011 10:32 AM
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0 Comments

Well, while we might roll our eyes slightly when it comes to the idea of "Oz The Great & Powerful," a prequel to classic "The Wizard of Oz," it's hard to deny that director Sam Raimi has landed a mightily impressive cast. The "Spider-Man" helmer might have lost Robert Downey Jr., who was originally intended for the lead role of Oscar Diggs (aka Oz), a conman who ends up being transported to the magical land seen in the 1939 Judy Garland musical, and becomes embroiled in a conflict between three witches, but he managed to replace him with newly anointed Oscar-nominee James Franco.

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Rachel Weisz Gets Witchy With 'Oz The Great And Powerful'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 4, 2011 1:33 AM
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12 Comments

While it was recently reported that Sam Raimi and Disney were fighting over a key female role in "Oz The Great And Powerful" -- the director wanted Hilary Swank, but the studio was looking at Michelle Williams -- another actress entirely has snagged the part.

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Sam Raimi Wants Hilary Swank, Disney Eyes Michelle Williams For 'Oz: The Great And Powerful'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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April 23, 2011 4:47 AM
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2 Comments

While Sam Raimi and Disney are walking together down the yellow brick road to "Oz: The Great and Powerful," it looks like the director and studio may start picking up those bricks and throwing them at each other.

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John C. Reilly To Play Haymitch Abernathy In 'Hunger Games'?

By Kevin Jagernauth
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April 22, 2011 10:44 AM
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3 Comments

Has Also Been In Talks For 'Oz The Great And Powerful'To be honest, this writer has about zero interest in "Hunger Games" and has found the daily, piecemeal, no-name casting announcements to be irritating as hell, but now that opinion is swinging back around. At least temporarily.

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Blake Lively First Choice For Oliver Stone's 'Savages,' But Also Eyeing 'Oz The Great And Powerful'

By Catherine Scott
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April 12, 2011 2:08 AM
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6 Comments

Despite Jennifer Lawrence dropping out last month in favor of Gary Ross' tentpole adaptation of "The Hunger Games," Oliver Stone isn't wasting any time recasting her role in his upcoming adaptation of Don Winslow's drug cartel novel "Savages."

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James Franco Locks In To Visit 'Oz: The Great And Powerful'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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February 25, 2011 5:03 AM
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1 Comment

We'll say this: it's kind of amazing the amount of buzz James Franco -- aka The Franco -- has managed to create for himself. It's the kind of chatter and publicity most stars would love to have, but it's all the more remarkable considering that it's only after this weekend when he hosts the Oscars that James Franco will become something of a household name. Sure, he had a co-starring role in the "Spider-Man" films but other than that, he hasn't really toplined a major franchise. But that's all about to change. Later this year he will fight the "Rise of the Apes" and now Deadline reports that the ink is pretty much dry on earlier talks that will find the actor reteaming with Sam Raimi for "Oz: The Great and Powerful."

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Mila Kunis Allegedly Walks Away From 'Akira' To Star In 'Oz: The Great And Powerful'

By Oliver Lyttelton
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February 17, 2011 11:08 AM
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7 Comments

James Franco Also Apparently Locked For The FilmUpdate: Variety confirms that Mila Kunis has closed the deal to star in "Oz The Great And Powerful." She will be taking the role of Theodora, a good witch whose advances are rebuffed by Franco's character. She subsequently decides to help her evil sister Evanora rule Oz. Olivia Wilde, Amy Adams, Kate Beckinsale, Keira Knightley and Rebecca Hall are among those being listed as contenders for the sister roles.

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James Franco In Talks To Lead Sam Raimi's 'Oz: The Great And Powerful'

By Simon Dang
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February 5, 2011 12:45 AM
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0 Comments

Man of the moment James Franco is reportedly in early talks to take the lead role in Sam Raimi's "Oz: The Great and Powerful," a quasi-prequel to "The Wizard of Oz," after Robert Downey Jr. bailed on the role and Johnny Depp passed after early discussions.

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