Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
- Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a hidden easter egg referencing Sam Raimi's previous film in the background of the opening scene.
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
- The incredible score for Oz the Great and Powerful was composed in just a few weeks after the original composer dropped out.
Oz the Great and Powerful is a 2013 American fantasy adventure directed by Sam Raimi, a prequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. James Franco stars as Oscar "Oz" Diggs, a small-time Kansas circus magician who is swept away by a tornado to the Land of Oz, where the inhabitants believe he is the great wizard prophesied to save them from the Wicked Witch. Oz must use his skills as a showman and illusionist โ he has no real magic โ to fulfill the prophecy while navigating the machinations of three witches played by Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, and Michelle Williams.
Sam Raimi's visual direction created a gorgeous, candy-colored Oz that paid homage to the 1939 classic through its shift from black-and-white Kansas to widescreen color upon arrival, using modern CGI to realize environments of spectacular beauty. The film earned $493 million worldwide on a $200 million budget. The film demonstrated Sam Raimi could successfully work within the Disney blockbuster framework while maintaining elements of his distinctive visual personality.
