As a fan of film history and the magical world of Oz, I find the story of Walter Murch’s directorial journey with “Return to Oz” absolutely captivating. The behind-the-scenes turmoil and the involvement of industry giants like Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas make it a tale as enchanting as any from the Land of Oz itself!
The musical spectacle “Wicked” whisks viewers into the magical realm of “The Wizard of Oz,” as Universal’s film adaptation, featuring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, premieres in cinemas on November 22. Unlike the 1985 release “Return to Oz,” this production has had a more straightforward journey. Following his Oscar win for sound editing in Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now,” editor and sound designer Walter Murch was invited by Disney to discuss potential directorial projects. Intrigued by an Oz tale, Murch expressed interest, catching the studio’s attention since it held rights to L. Frank Baum’s later books, “The Land of Oz” and “Ozma of Oz,” upon which “Return to Oz” was based.
In a less melodious and more somber sequel to MGM’s 1939 original, Return to Oz, Fairuza Balk plays Dorothy, who is summoned once again to the land of Oz, now in ruins under the reign of the malevolent Nome King (Nicol Williamson) and Mombi (Jean Marsh). In this new adventure, she encounters companions like Jack Pumpkinhead (voice by Brian Henson), the mechanical Tik-Tok, and Billina, a chicken with the power of speech.
The production faced difficulties right from the beginning, as the movie was halted for revisions six weeks prior to filming with a budget of $20 million. During the shoot, Murch encountered a loss of Disney’s trust. Recalling events in a 2000 interview, Murch stated that due to the studio’s dissatisfaction with the material and delays in production schedule, he was dismissed from the film after five weeks. George Lucas, a long-time friend of Murch who had collaborated on Lucas’ first film, THX 1138, was called to the London set as they considered replacing Murch. This caused significant unease among the team. According to Peter Elliott, one of the evil Wheelers, “It created quite a stir.” Although Lucas managed to persuade Disney to let Murch complete the project, he stayed on to help regain control, with Coppola and Spielberg also joining in to offer assistance.
The movie premiered on June 21, 1985, and critics found it lacking compared to the Judy Garland version, as expressed in a review by THR, “The magic touch didn’t grace this film.” Known as “Return to Oz,” it earned $11 million and received an Oscar nomination for its visual effects that blended claymation by Will Vinton. This was George Lucas’s only directorial venture, marking the beginning and end of his directing career. Deep Roy, who portrayed the Tin Man, shares, “We faced challenges during production, but it was a fantastic experience working with Walter.
“You can find this story in the November 20 edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Consider subscribing by clicking here.
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2024-11-22 21:26