Here's a cool set of photos from Sam Raimi's Oz The Great and Powerful featuring new images of James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and a flying monkey. Raimi had this to say about Franco's character Oscar Diggs,
In Oz, Diggs is mistaken for Oz the Great and Powerful, destined to be the next king of Emerald City. But he's only to receive that title if he can defeat the Wicked Witch.
Franco adds,
With a history of being a trickster and charlatan, Diggs accepts the challenge, partially because everyone thinks he's the wizard; he has to maintain this facade of being a fantastical wizard to save his hide.
Heading for the Dark Forest to kill the Wicked Witch, Diggs stumbles upon a ravaged teacup-size land called Chinatown. Raimi goes on to talk about one of the characters, China Girl.
Everything in the land, the houses and people made of china, have been broken by the Wicked Witch and her army. Oscar finds the pieces of this china doll and puts them together, and hence the China Girl (voiced by Joey King) is saved. He's telling her she has to go back to the Emerald City, where she'll be well taken care of. But she won't have any of it. He's going to learn by the end of this scene that he's not the only huckster in the bunch.
I love what I've seen from this film so far, and I'm excited to see how this Oz prequel story turns out. The movie also stars Zach Braff, Joey King and Bruce Campbell, and it's set to be released on March 8th 2013! Are you excited for this flick?
Synopsis:
Oz The Great and Powerful” 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.