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[Columbiad]

Just a rumour, but wildly interesting all the same. From MiceChat:

Oz: The Great And Powerful
Let the rumors begin. In March of next year, Disney will release a new Wizard of Oz movie prequel which takes place in the early years of the great wizard as he is swept to the Emerald City from his roots as a magician in a dusty Midwestern circus.

Disney describes the film as:
Walt Disney Pictures' fantastical adventure Oz The Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum's beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot-fame and fortune are his for the taking-that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity-and even a bit of wizardry-Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

Sounds promising, right?! Well, there's apparently been a lot of work going on in Imagineering that may have been inspired by this upcoming film. If the movie is a hit, it stands to reason that we might just see it come to life in the Big Thunder Ranch/Festival Arena area of Disneyland between Fantasyland and Frontierland.



For us, Oz at Disneyland seems like a perfect fit. We can't help but be inspired by the endless possibilities. The "Dusty Kansas" circus magician theme would be a seamless transition from Frontierland. And the Oz component makes it a fantastic neighbor to Fantasyland.

Who knows, in 5 years or so, we might just have a whole new land that perfectly fits the transition zone between Frontierland and Fantasyland. As we see it, this is a practical and magic application for an underused space at Disneyland.

SOURCE: //http://micechat.com/blogs/in-the-parks/3365-disneyland-goes-over-rainbow-inside-seaworlds-manta-knotts-uni-updates.html

I can't help but agree - it would make the most perfect transition. Whilst (I think) Disneyland Paris's worst transition area is between Discoveryland and Fantasyland, Disneyland Anahiem's is no doubt the area around the Festival area. The Wizard of Oz is such a well known musical film that it almost feels Disney anyway.

What do you think? Could anything from this new film fill any gaps at our resort? (I"m looking at you, underdeveloped Studios Park!)

[Scissorsboi]

I would love to see what could be done with this, and in all honesty with Universal Hollywood getting their very own Wizarding World it makes sense for Disneyland to be looking at their own new brand of magic!

I'd like to see it as a development of the Fantasyland to Discoveryland walk for us, but instead of a western travelling show feel, make it a bit more like in the original where he has all sorts of mechanical oddities, and fade from the wonderful world of Oz through to the more 'mechanical/steampunk' feeling items that The Wizard has, if done correctly it'd make a wonderful transition!

Attraction wise, I'd like to see a trackless dark ride (imagine being swept up in the twister and have the cars shuffle around you!), or a coaster of some form, who knows by the time they do build it (if!) the rights to the KUKA arm used in Forbidden Journey may not be exclusive to Universal, and we might get something as magical as Potter here!

[dagobert]

I don't know a lot about the Wonderful World of Oz. I haven't seen any movies related to it nor have I read the book. So I have to wait until Disney releases more infos. I always thought Tomorrowland would be the next big project in Anaheim.

[dagobert]

According to disneylandfan95 from MiceChat.com, the Oz Land is not coming. It was just a concept that someone was working on during the Blue Sky phase. However he says WDI is working on some very promising projects for the area behind Fantasyland.

[BigDisneyFn]

Massive OZ Fan here I think it will be a fab idea but I think they should waite till after they release
WICKED THE MOVIE   It could be a fantastic land a yellow brick roller coaster going thrue Dorothys journey into the emerald city with lots of animitronics it would be fab I'd definately go .....