View source for Oz the Great and Powerful



{{Infobox film
| name           = Oz the Great and Powerful
| image          = Oz - The Great and Powerful Poster.jpg
| alt            = A man and three woman standing on a yellow brick road
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Sam Raimi]]
| producer       = [[Joe Roth]]
| screenplay     = {{Plainlist|
* Mitchell Kapner
* [[David Lindsay-Abaire]]
}}
| story          = Mitchell Kapner
| based_on       = {{Based on|[[List of Oz books|''Oz'']]|[[L. Frank Baum]]}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[James Franco]]
* [[Mila Kunis]]
* [[Rachel Weisz]]
* [[Michelle Williams (actress)|Michelle Williams]]
* [[Zach Braff]]
* [[Bill Cobbs]]
* [[Joey King]]
* [[Tony Cox (actor)|Tony Cox]]
}}
| music          = [[Danny Elfman]]
| cinematography = [[Peter Deming]]
| editing        = [[Bob Murawski]]
| production_companies = {{Plainlist|
* [[Walt Disney Pictures]]
* [[Roth/Kirschenbaum Films|Roth Films]]
}}
| distributor    = [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Walt Disney Studios<br>Motion Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|2013|02|13|[[El Capitan Theatre]]|2013|03|08|United States}}<!-- seek consensus on the talk page before adding more dates here, see [[WP:FILMRELEASE]] -->
| runtime        = 130 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 130:20--><ref>{{cite web | url=https://bbfc.co.uk/BVF291952 | title=''Oz the Great And Powerful'' (PG) | work=[[British Board of Film Classification]] | date=February 15, 2013 | access-date=October 10, 2015}}{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $215 million<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.filmla.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2013-Feature-Production-Report-w-Release-030614_1394125127.pdf |title=2013 Feature Film Study |date=March 1, 2014 |website=Film L.A. (filmla.com) |access-date=August 14, 2018 }}</ref><ref name=profit/>
| gross          = $493.3 million<ref name="BOM" />
}}
'''''Oz the Great and Powerful''''' is a 2013 American [[Fantasy film|fantasy]] [[adventure film]] directed by [[Sam Raimi]] and written by [[David Lindsay-Abaire]] and Mitchell Kapner, from a story by Kapner. Based on [[L. Frank Baum]]'s early 20th&nbsp;century [[List of Oz books|''Oz'' books]] and set 20&nbsp;years before the events of the [[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz|original 1900 novel]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Schaefer |first=Sandy |date=March 12, 2013 |title=No Dorothy in ''Oz the Great and Powerful'' sequel; WB developing new ''Oz'' TV series |website=[[Screen Rant]] |url=https://screenrant.com/oz-great-powerful-sequel-dorothy-wizard-oz-tv-show/ |access-date=April 10, 2014}}</ref> the film is a <!--Please see talk page before changing this.-->[[Spiritual successor|spiritual prequel]]<!--Please see talk page before changing this.--> to the 1939 [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] film [[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|''The Wizard of Oz'']].<ref>{{cite news |last=Barnes |first=Brookes |date=March 3, 2013 |title=One more trip to {{grey|[the]}} Land of Oz |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/04/business/media/disney-gambles-on-box-office-wizardry-of-oz.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 |access-date=March 5, 2013}}</ref> Starring [[James Franco]] in the [[Wizard of Oz (character)|title role]], [[Mila Kunis]], [[Rachel Weisz]], [[Michelle Williams (actress)|Michelle Williams]], [[Zach Braff]], [[Bill Cobbs]], [[Joey King]], and [[Tony Cox (actor)|Tony Cox]]; the film tells the story of Oscar Diggs, a [[deception|deceitful]] [[stage magician]] who arrives in the [[Land of Oz]] and encounters three witches: [[Wicked Witch of the West|Theodora]], the [[Good Witch of the North (Baum)|Good Witch of the North]], [[Wicked Witch of the East|Evanora]], the [[Wicked Witch of the East]], and [[Glinda]], the [[Good Witch of the South]]. Diggs is then enlisted to restore order in Oz while struggling to resolve conflicts with the witches and himself.

It is Disney's third film adaptation of Baum's works, following ''[[Return to Oz]]'' (1985) and the television film ''[[The Muppets' Wizard of Oz]]'' (2005). Kapner began developing an [[origin story]] for the [[Wizard of Oz (character)|Wizard of Oz]] after a lifelong interest in wanting to create one for the character. [[Walt Disney Pictures]] commissioned the film's production in 2009 with [[Joe Roth]] as producer and [[Grant Curtis]], [[Joshua Donen]], Philip Steuer and Palak Patel serving as executive producers. Raimi was hired to direct the following year. After [[Robert Downey Jr.]] and [[Johnny Depp]] declined the title role in January and February 2011, Franco was cast. Filming took place from July to December&nbsp;2011. [[Danny Elfman]] composed the music score for the film.

''Oz the Great and Powerful'' premiered at the [[El Capitan Theatre]] in Los Angeles on February 13, 2013, and was released theatrically in the United States on March 8, 2013, in [[Disney Digital 3-D]], [[RealD 3D]] and [[IMAX|IMAX 3D]] formats. It received mixed reviews from critics and was commercially successful, grossing $493.3 million worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing Oz-related film until ''[[Wicked (2024 film)|Wicked]]'' (2024).<!-- Per WP:LEAD, the lead must summarize all parts of the article. The reception and box office info are part of this article. Do not remove.--> The film won the Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Live Action Family Film<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-12-17 |title=Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards 2014|url=https://www.awardsdaily.com/2013/12/17/phoenix-film-critics-society-award-winners/ |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=Awardsdaily |language=en-US}}</ref> and Kunis won the [[MTV Movie Award for Best Villain]] for her performance as the [[Wicked Witch of the West]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Nordyke |first=Kimberly |date=April 13, 2014 |title=MTV Movie Awards winners: The complete list |newspaper=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mtv-movie-awards-winners-2014-695760 |access-date=December 10, 2016 }}</ref>

==Plot==
<!-- PER WP:FILMPLOT, PLOT SUMMARIES FOR FEATURE FILMS SHOULD BE BETWEEN 400 AND 700 WORDS. -->
In 1905 [[Kansas]], [[Wizard of Oz (character)|Oscar Diggs]], a [[Magician (illusion)|magician]] and [[Confidence trick|con artist]] working in a [[Circus|traveling circus]], is threatened by a [[Strongman (strength athlete)|strongman]] named Vlad, who has discovered him flirting with his wife. He escapes via a [[hot air balloon]] but is sucked into a [[tornado]] that transports him to the [[Land of Oz]]. Upon arrival, he encounters the naïve witch [[Wicked Witch of the West|Theodora]], who believes him to be the wizard [[Prophecy|prophesied]] to become King of Oz by defeating the "Wicked Witch", who killed the previous king. Oscar accepts the role, wanting to become a wealthy [[monarch]]. En route to the [[Emerald City]], Theodora falls in love with Oscar, though he does not reciprocate her feelings. They encounter the [[Winged monkeys|flying monkey]] Finley, who pledges his life to Oscar when he saves him from a [[Cowardly Lion|lion]], and Knuck, a grumpy Munchkin herald whom Oscar jokingly nicknames "Sourpuss". Oscar reveals his deception to Finley and forces him to maintain the idea that he is the wizard.

At the [[Emerald City]], Theodora's older sister, [[Wicked Witch of the East|Evanora]], tells Oscar that the Wicked Witch resides in the Dark Forest, and can be defeated if her [[wand]] is destroyed. En route, Oscar and Finley befriend an [[orphan]]ed living [[china doll]], whose village and family were destroyed by the Wicked Witch. Upon arrival, the group discovers the so-called "Wicked Witch" is actually the deceased king's daughter, [[Glinda the Good Witch]], and Evanora is the true Wicked Witch. Observing Oscar's romantic affair with Glinda through her [[crystal ball]], Evanora misleads Theodora into believing Oscar is attempting to [[courtship|court]] all three witches, then offers her an enchanted [[apple]] and claims that biting into it will remove her heartache. Intended to empower her to kill him, the apple disintegrates her heart and transforms her into an evil, hideous-looking green-skinned creature instead.

Glinda brings Oscar's group to her domain to escape Evanora's army of [[Winkie Country|Winkies]] and flying [[baboon]]s. She confides in Oscar that she knows he is not a wizard, but still believes he can help stop Evanora. He reluctantly takes charge of an "army" of [[Quadling]]s, [[Tinker]]s, and [[Munchkin]]s, but Theodora arrives and debuts her new appearance to the crowd before threatening to kill Oscar and his allies with the Emerald City's well-prepared army. Initially despondent, Oscar tells China Girl about his hero [[Thomas Edison]]; inspired, he conceives a plan that relies on [[sleight of hand|staged illusion]].

Glinda and her subjects utilize a pulley-rig army of mechanical [[scarecrow]] puppets, hidden by thick fog to lure the attention of the Wicked Witches. Most of the flying baboons are lured into a [[poppy]] field by the puppets and consequently fall asleep, but a pair of conscious baboons capture Glinda, causing her to drop her wand, which China Girl retrieves. Meanwhile, Oscar infiltrates the Emerald City with his allies but seemingly abandons them in a hot air balloon loaded with gold, which Theodora destroys with a fireball. As the Wicked Witches prepare to kill Glinda in the center of the city, Oscar, having faked his betrayal and death, resurfaces, using a hidden [[fog machine]] and [[Projector|image projector]] to present a [[Hologram|giant image of his face]] as his "true" disembodied form, and intimidates them via a fireworks display. Evanora retreats inside her castle while Theodora flees on her broom, unable to hurt the "invincible" wizard. Oscar momentarily stops Theodora and invites her to return if she overcomes her wickedness, but she vehemently declines and flies away to the West laughing maniacally, saddening Oscar. After China Girl frees her from her restraints with her wand, Glinda defeats Evanora in a duel by destroying Evanora's emerald necklace, revealing her true hag-like appearance; she permanently banishes her from the Emerald City, while the pair of still-conscious flying baboons catch Evanora and carry her to safety in the East.

Oscar, now de facto ruler of Oz, resolves to utilize his projector to sustain the illusion of being a powerful wizard. Master Tinker, one of the prime leaders of the Ozian resistance who helped construct his machines, receives Oscar's [[pocket knife|jack-knife]] while Knuck receives a novelty mask with a smile painted on it; the long-suffering Finley receives Oscar's top hat; and China Girl accepts her friends as her new family. Behind the curtains of his projector, Oscar thanks Glinda for profoundly changing his life and personality, and they kiss.

==Cast==
* [[James Franco]] as [[Wizard of Oz (character)|Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs]], commonly known as 'Oz', a philandering [[confidence trick|con artist]], a [[stage magician]] and a [[Barnstorming|barnstormer]]<ref name=EW>{{cite magazine |last=Nashawaty |first=Chris |date=March 22, 2013 |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'' |type=film review |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |issue=1250 |page=43 <!-- not used for "cite magazine": |location=New York, NY |publisher=Time Inc. --> |url=https://ew.com/article/2013/03/22/oz-great-and-powerful-2/ |access-date=March 16, 2013 |archive-date=9 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309063225/https://ew.com/article/2013/03/22/oz-great-and-powerful-2/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> who is part of a traveling circus in the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]]. He is whisked in a hot air balloon by a tornado to the [[Land of Oz]], where he is believed to be a wizard destined to bring peace to the land, forcing him to overcome his dubious ethics to convince his peers he is the hero needed by the people of Oz. He eventually becomes what is known as the Wizard of Oz.
* [[Mila Kunis]] as [[Wicked Witch of the West|Theodora]], a naïve good witch who has the Land of Oz's best interests at heart. She believes that Oscar is the wizard prophesied to defeat the seemingly evil Glinda from the Dark Forest, developing an attraction to him in the process. Evanora gradually manipulates Theodora into thinking Oscar has betrayed her for Glinda, ushering her transformation into the [[Wicked Witch of the West]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Lutz |first=Ashley |date=March 7, 2013 |title=1939's Wicked Witch of the West looks much sexier in today's ''Oz'' |newspaper=[[Business Insider]] |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/wicked-witch-of-the-west-then-and-now-2013-3 |access-date=March 19, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Rachel Weisz]] as [[Wicked Witch of the East|Evanora]], the protector of the Emerald City. Being the [[Wicked Witch of the East]], she has a hideous form which she hides by wearing a necklace that gives her the appearance of a young woman. She deceives Oscar by framing Glinda for King Portus' murder, and telling Oscar that Glinda is the Wicked Witch rather than herself.
* [[Michelle Williams (actress)|Michelle Williams]] as [[Glinda]], the daughter of the late king and the Good Witch of the South. She rules and protects a peaceful kingdom inside Oz, inhabited by kind Quadlings, tinkers, and Munchkins. Oscar originally believed her to be the Wicked Witch responsible for terrorizing the land. She guides Oscar to achieve his destiny of defeating Evanora, becoming his love interest in the process.
** Williams also plays Annie, an old flame of Oscar's and the future mother of [[Dorothy Gale]].<ref name=Covert-2013-03-10/>
* [[Zach Braff]] as the voice of Finley, a [[winged monkey]] who pledges an irrevocable life debt to Oscar, believing him to be the prophesied wizard, for saving him from the [[Cowardly Lion]].<ref name=Allport-2013-03-08/> He quickly regrets his decision when Oscar reveals he is not a wizard, but nonetheless becomes his loyal ally.
** Braff also plays Frank, Oscar's long-suffering yet loyal assistant in Kansas.
* [[Bill Cobbs]] as Master Tinker, the leader of the [[tinker]]s ruled by Glinda. He later builds the [[Tin Woodman]].
* [[Joey King]] as the voice of the China Girl, a young, living [[china doll]] from [[Quadling Country|China Town]] where everything, including its inhabitants, is made of china. Her home is destroyed by Evanora, leaving her its only survivor when she is found by Oscar, with whom she forms a strong friendship after he uses glue to fix her broken legs.
** King also plays a young disabled girl volunteering in Oscar's magic show in Kansas.
* [[Tony Cox (actor)|Tony Cox]] as Knuck / "Sourpuss", the quick-tempered [[herald]] and fanfare player of Emerald City, who is allied with Glinda.

[[Stephen R. Hart]], [[Bruce Campbell]], and William Bock play [[Winkie Country|Winkie]] guards at the Emerald City.<ref name=premiere/> [[Abigail Spencer]] plays May, Oscar's temporary magic assistant in Kansas and one of his several fleeting loves in the film.<ref name=premiere/> [[Tim Holmes (actor)|Tim Holmes]] plays Vlad, the [[Strongman (strength athlete)|strongman]] who threatens Oscar for trying to court his wife (played by Toni Wynne), prompting Oscar to take the hot air balloon that sends him to the Land of Oz.

Raimi, who often casts friends and actor-regulars in [[cameo roles]], cast his brother [[Ted Raimi|Ted]] as a small-town skeptic at Oscar's magic show who sees through one of his tricks, two of his former teachers – Jim Moll and Jim Bird – as well as [[Dan Hicks (actor)|Dan Hicks]], Mia Serafino, and his daughter Emma as Emerald City townspeople and the three actresses from his 1981 directorial debut ''[[The Evil Dead]]'' – [[Ellen Sandweiss]], [[Betsy Baker]] and Theresa Tilly – as well as his sons Dashiell and Oliver respectively as Quadling townspeople.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lovece |first=Frank |author-link=Frank Lovece |date=March 6, 2013 |title=Great and powerful Sam Raimi connections |newspaper=[[Newsday]] |at=(sidebar) |url=http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/movies/oz-the-great-and-powerful-review-no-magic-but-close-1.4761788 |url-status=live |access-date=April 9, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811145924/https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/movies/oz-the-great-and-powerful-review-no-magic-but-close-x68754 |archive-date=2022-08-11}} (Sidebar to Guzman's 2013 review of ''Oz the Great and Powerful''.)</ref> [[Gene Jones (actor)|Gene Jones]] portrays a [[wild west]] barker, [[Martin Klebba]] portrays a Munchkin rebel; John Paxton who previously worked with Raimi in the [[Spider-Man (2002 film series)|''Spider-Man'' trilogy]] and ''[[Drag Me to Hell]]'' makes a posthumous appearance as an elder tinker, in his last film role before he died on November 17, 2011; while the great-grandson of [[Bert Lahr]] (played 1939 [[Cowardly Lion]]) also portrays a tinker.

==Production==
===Continuity===
''Oz the Great and Powerful'' features several artistic allusions, [[Homage (arts)|homages]], and technical parallels to Baum's books, and the 1939 [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] film ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]''.

As in the 1939 film, the first twenty minutes is presented in black and white and {{nobr|1.33 : 1}} "[[Fullscreen (aspect ratio)|fullscreen]]", and the rest of the film is presented in color and {{nobr|2.40 : 1}} "[[widescreen]]"<ref>{{cite news |last=Patterson |first=John |date=8 March 2013 |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'': Sam Raimi's not in Kansas anymore |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/mar/09/oz-the-great-and-the-powerful-sam-raimi |access-date=19 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Kirby |first=Ben |date=May 1, 2014 |title=A beginner's guide to aspect ratios |department=Film Studies&nbsp;101 |magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/film-studies-101-aspect-ratios/ |access-date=March 9, 2023}}</ref> (the 1933 [[The Wizard of Oz (1933 film)|Canadian animated film adaptation]] of Baum's [[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz|original 1900 ''Oz'' book]] first introduced the idea of transitioning from black and white to color),{{efn|The 1933 animated film was originally made in technicolor, but because it was made without proper licensing from the [[Technicolor|Technicolor Corporation]] (which limited use of its 3-strip process to Disney), it never received a theatrical release in color and was shown in black and white instead. The first known commercial release from 1985 is not an original color print, but has been colored to match the original intent of the filmmakers, which, as in the [[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|MGM film]] that followed, had the animated film go from black and white to color.}} Glinda travels in giant bubbles and she kisses Oscar's forehead to protect him, and the Emerald City is ''actually'' emerald; whereas [[The Wizard of Oz (book)|in the book]], the [[Good Witch of the North (Baum)|Good Witch of the North]] kisses [[Dorothy Gale|Dorothy]] on the forehead, and characters are compelled to wear locked-on green-tinted glasses, to make the city ''appear'' emerald, though during the battle preparations sequence Oscar can be seen wearing emerald goggles. Oscar's face is used as the projected image of the Wizard; in the book, the Wizard appears in his audience hall as a giant head, a beautiful fairy, a horrible monster, and a ball of fire, depending on what would most intimidate his visitor. The iconic green look of the [[Wicked Witch of the West]] is closer to her look in the 1939 film, as the Witch is a short, one-eyed crone in the book. The Wicked Witches, Theodora and Evanora, both nameless and unrelated in the book, are portrayed as sisters, an idea which originated in the 1939 film.

Also from the 1939 film is that several actors who play Oz characters make cameos in the [[Kansas]] segments, such as Frank, Oscar's assistant – whom he refers to as his "trained monkey" (Frank's "Oz" counterpart is the winged monkey Finley) – a young disabled girl who serves as the Kansas counterpart to China Girl (in Kansas, Oscar is unable to make the wheelchair-using young girl walk, and gets a chance to do so when he repairs China Girl's broken legs), and Annie who inspires Oscar to be a good and great person (Annie's "Oz" counterpart, Glinda, also inspires Oscar to be a better person) informs him that she has been [[marriage proposal|proposed-to]] by John Gale, presumably hinting at [[Dorothy Gale]]'s parents, as Annie is seen wearing a [[gingham]] dress, a pattern famously associated with Dorothy.<ref name=Covert-2013-03-10>{{cite news |last=Covert |first=Colin |date=March 10, 2013 |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'' is big and beautiful |newspaper=[[Salisbury Post]] |url=http://www.salisburypost.com/article/20130310/SP03/130319982/1011 |access-date=March 11, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719210141/http://www.salisburypost.com/article/20130310/SP03/130319982/1011|archive-date=July 19, 2013 }}</ref>{{efn|
He makes a young, svelte, rather hot conjurer who has broken many a heart, including that of Dorothy Gale's mom-to-be (liquid-eyed Michelle Williams, resplendent in a blond wig).<ref name=Covert-2013-03-10/>}}
The names of Dorothy's parents are not mentioned in Baum's book, but Ellie Smith's parents are named John and Ann in the re-narrated novel ''[[The Wizard of the Emerald City]]'' by Alexander Volkov. Other referenced characters include the [[Scarecrow (Oz)|Scarecrow]], who is built by the townspeople as a scare tactic; the [[Tin Woodman]], whose creator is the Master Tinker that can build "anything", in the books, the [[Wicked Witch of the East]] enchanted a local woodsman to hack off his limbs, replacing them with hollow tin; and the lion that attacks Finley, a reference to the [[Cowardly Lion]].<ref name=Allport-2013-03-08>{{cite news |last=Allport |first=Lee |date=March 8, 2013 |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'': A prequel at its best |work=[[HuffPost]] |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/lee-allport/oz-the-great-and-powerful_1_b_2811167.html |access-date=March 10, 2013 |quote= }}</ref>{{efn|
There are other interesting "that explains it" moments as well: We get up-close-and-personal with the Cowardly Lion and find out what spooked him into being afraid of his own shadow. We get to know the Tin Man's father and the creators of the Scarecrow and learn more about Munchkinland.<ref name=Allport-2013-03-08/>
}}

Various other races and species of Oz are depicted besides the [[Munchkin Country|Munchkins]]; the [[Quadling Country|Quadlings]], the china doll inhabitants of [[Quadling Country#The Wonderful Wizard of Oz|Dainty China Country]], the [[Winkie Country|Winkies]] (who went unnamed in the 1939 film), winged baboons (instead of [[winged monkeys]] in the book), and color-changing horses (inspired by the horse of a different color from the 1939 film). Similarly, Glinda is referred to by her title in the book (the Good Witch of the South), unlike the 1939 film, where her character's title is "Good Witch of the North" (due to merging the characters Good Witch of the South, and the North). Glinda is also the [[Princess Ozma|daughter of the]] late King of Oz, though in the books, [[Princess Ozma|Ozma]] is the King's daughter and Glinda is her protector. Evanora, the Wicked Witch of the East, wears an emerald necklace that gives her powers instead of magical shoes (which are [[Silver Shoes|silver]] in the book and [[Ruby Slippers|ruby]] in the 1939 film) later worn by Dorothy.

The origins of the Wicked Witches are not explained in Baum's book, but Theodora's origins are borrowed from the revisionist novel ''[[Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West]]'' by [[Gregory Maguire]]. Theodora and [[Elphaba]] transition into Wicked Witches after learning of the Wizard's corruption (though in ''Wicked'', Oscar is Elphaba's father), their skins changing green, Theodora from eating a green apple and Elphaba from a bottle containing a green drug that her mother drank out of before birthing her. Theodora's tears leave streak-like scars on her face, reflecting her weakness to water in the original story. Evanora transforms into a powerless hag after losing her necklace. In ''Wicked'', Nessarose is [[paraplegic]], but became powerful after wearing the magical shoes made by her sister Elphaba to allow her to walk. Oscar is portrayed as a womanizing [[con artist]] from Kansas, rather than a bumbling "humbug" of [[Omaha, Nebraska]], in the book and a dictator in ''Wicked''; in the 1939 film, the Wizard is from Kansas, although the hot air balloon he leaves in has "Omaha State Fair" on it. Also, Oz is presented as a real place as it is in the books, and not as a possible dream as the 1939 film implies.<ref>{{cite book |first=L.F. |last=Baum |author-link=L. Frank Baum |year=1976 |title=The Annotated Wizard of Oz |editor-link=Michael Patrick Hearn |editor-first=M.P. |editor-last=Hearn |place=New York, NY |publisher=Crown Books |page=96 |ISBN=0-517-50086-8 }}</ref>

===Disney's history with ''Oz''===
After the success of ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'' in 1937, [[Walt Disney]] planned to produce an animated film based on the first of [[L. Frank Baum|Baum's]] [[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz|''Oz'']] books. However, [[Roy O. Disney]], the chairman of [[The Walt Disney Company|Walt Disney Productions]], was informed by Baum's estate that they had sold the film rights to the first book to [[Samuel Goldwyn]], who re-sold it to [[Louis B. Mayer]] in 1938.<ref>{{cite AV media |people=[[Angela Lansbury]], narrator, produced by John Fricke and Aljean Harmetz |year=1990 |title=The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', the making of a movie classic'' |medium=TV documentary |publisher=[[CBS]] Television }}</ref> Ironically, the film was approved due to the success of ''Snow White''.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Staskiewicz |first1=Keith |date=March 1, 2013 |title=Hello, yellow brick road |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |url=https://ew.com/article/2013/03/01/hello-yellow-brick-road/ |access-date=May 12, 2017 }}</ref> The project was then developed by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] into [[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|the well-known musical adaptation]] which was released the following year.

In 1954, when the film rights to Baum's remaining thirteen ''Oz'' books were made available, Walt Disney Productions acquired them<ref name=murchinterview>{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Chambers |title=A conversation: FFC interviews Academy Award-winning editor Walter Murch |website = Film Freak Central (filmfreakcentral.net) |url = http://www.filmfreakcentral.net/ffc/2012/05/a-conversation-ffc-interviews-walter-murch.html |access-date = January 13, 2010 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121107094523/http://www.filmfreakcentral.net/ffc/2012/05/a-conversation-ffc-interviews-walter-murch.html |archive-date = November 7, 2012 }}</ref> for use in Walt Disney's television series ''[[Walt Disney anthology television series|Disneyland]]'' which led to the proposed live-action film ''[[The Rainbow Road to Oz]]'', which was abandoned and never completed.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hill |first=Jim |date=November 3, 2006 |title=Disney's long, long journey to Oz |website=Jim Hill Media (jimhillmedia.com) |url=http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2006/11/03/6565.aspx |access-date=July 13, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307025232/http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2006/11/03/6565.aspx |archive-date=March 7, 2013 }}</ref> Disney's history with the ''Oz'' series continued with the 1985 film ''[[Return to Oz]]'', which performed poorly, both critically and commercially,<ref name="NY Times">{{cite news |last=Maslin |first=Janet |date=June 21, 1985 |title=Film: A new 'Oz' gives Dorothy new friends |type=film review |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/21/movies/film-a-new-oz-gives-dorothy-new-friends.html |access-date=January 14, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=September 4, 1985 |title=Disasters outnumber movie hits |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1985-09-04/features/8502060585_1_ticket-million-box-office |url-status=dead |access-date=June 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616110125/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1985-09-04/features/8502060585_1_ticket-million-box-office |archive-date=June 16, 2013 |via=[[South Florida Sun-Sentinel]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Kehr |first=Dave |date=October 26, 1985 |title=''Return to Oz'' |newspaper=[[Chicago Reader]] |type=film review |url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/return-to-oz/Film?oid=1073337 |url-status=live |access-date=January 13, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011204033/http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/return-to-oz/Film?oid=1073337 |archive-date=October 11, 2012 }}</ref> but has developed a [[cult following]] since its release, by fans of the books, who considered it a more faithful adaptation to the ''Oz'' books than the 1939 classic.<ref name=Geraghty>{{cite book | last=Geraghty | first=Lincoln | year=2011 | title=American Hollywood | publisher=Intellect Books | isbn=978-1-84150-415-5| page=187 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Weiner |first=David |date=March 5, 2013 |title=A ''Return to Oz'' |department=Flashback exclusive |website=ET Online |url=http://www.etonline.com/movies/131252_Return_to_Oz_Flashback_with_Fairuza_Balk/index.html?viewFull=true |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603133852/https://www.etonline.com/movies/131252_Return_to_Oz_Flashback_with_Fairuza_Balk/index.html?viewFull=true |archive-date=June 3, 2013 |access-date=March 15, 2013 }}</ref> After ''Return to Oz'', Disney lost the film rights to the ''Oz'' books when they subsequently reverted to the [[public domain]].<ref name=Flemming-2010-10-06>{{cite news |last=Fleming |first=Mike, Jr. |date=October 6, 2010 |title=Sam Raimi commits to Disney ''Oz'' take, while ''Rabbit Hole'' scribe will rewrite |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |url=https://deadline.com/2010/10/disneys-oz-pic-gets-sam-raimi-to-commit-rabbit-hole-scribe-to-rewrite-73026/|access-date=September 22, 2013 }}</ref> In 2005, Disney produced the television film ''[[The Muppets' Wizard of Oz]]'', which aired on its network [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]].

===Development===
Upon the release of the musical ''[[Wicked (musical)|Wicked]]'', screenwriter Mitchell Kapner felt he had missed his opportunity to explore the origins of the [[Wizard of Oz (character)|Wizard of Oz character]].<ref name="THRFeb2013 Galloway-2013-02-27">{{cite news |last=Galloway |first=Stephen |date=February 27, 2013 |title=''Oz''s' journey: 3&nbsp;studio chiefs, multi-ethnic Munchkins, James Franco scores $7&nbsp;million |newspaper=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oz-great-powerful-disneys-200-424526?page=show |url-status=dead |access-date=March 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307154336/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oz-great-powerful-disneys-200-424526?page=show |archive-date=2021-03-07 }}</ref> In 2009, he met with producer [[Joe Roth]], who turned down his current [[Pitch (filmmaking)|pitches]], and asked if he had any other ideas. Kapner, who had been reading the [[List of Oz books|''Oz'' series]] to his children, outlined the plots of the books. Roth stopped him on the sixth book, ''[[The Emerald City of Oz]]'', which had some of the Wizard's backstory. Roth said: {{Blockquote
|"... during the years that I spent running Walt Disney Studios ... I learned about how hard it was to find a fairy tale with a good strong male protagonist. You've got your [[Sleeping Beauty (1959 film)|Sleeping Beauties]], your [[Cinderella (1950 film)|Cinderellas]], and your [[Alice in Wonderland (1951 film)|Alices]]; but a fairy tale with a male protagonist is very hard to come by. But with the origin story of the ''Wizard of Oz'', here was a fairy tale story with a natural male protagonist. Which is why I knew that this was an idea for a movie that was genuinely worth pursuing."<ref name=Huff>{{cite news |last=Hill |first=Jim |date=March 4, 2013 |title=Joe Roth reflects on ''Oz the Great and Powerful''; looks forward to ''Maleficent'' in 2014 |newspaper=[[Huffington Post]] |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-hill/joe-roth-reflects-on-oz-t_b_2806542.html |access-date=March 5, 2013 }}</ref>
}} Kapner and co-writer Palak Patel were turned down by [[Sony Pictures Entertainment|Sony Pictures]] before the project was set up at [[Walt Disney Pictures]] in 2009. Disney president [[Sean Bailey]] commissioned ''Oz the Great and Powerful'' (under the [[working title]] ''"Brick"'') during the tenure of chairman [[Dick Cook]], who was succeeded by [[Rich Ross]], and later [[Alan Horn]], a succession in management rarely survived by a [[tent-pole (entertainment)|major studio release]].<ref name=Galloway-2013-02-27/> [[David Lindsay-Abaire]] was later hired to do a re-write.<ref name=Flemming-2010-10-06/>

Roth reportedly announced in 2010 that [[Robert Downey Jr.]] was a candidate for the title role of the Wizard.<ref name="latapril">{{cite web |date=April 20, 2010 |title=Robert Downey Jr. as the Wizard of Oz? |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/24-frames/story/2010-04-20/robert-downey-jr-as-the-wizard-of-oz |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130221074528/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2010/04/robert-downey-jr-wizard-of-oz.html |archive-date=February 21, 2013 |access-date=July 15, 2011 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> [[Sam Raimi]] was hired to direct in the same year from a shortlist including [[Sam Mendes]] and [[Adam Shankman]].<ref name="latapril"/> In January 2011, Downey declined the role<ref name=Galloway-2013-02-27/> and it was offered to [[Johnny Depp]], who had previously collaborated with the studio in [[Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)|''Pirates of the Caribbean'']] and ''[[Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)|Alice in Wonderland]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/heat-vision/robert-downey-jr-oz-johnny-73615 |title=Exclusive: Robert Downey Jr. Out of 'Oz,' Johnny Depp to Take Over? | work = [[The Hollywood Reporter]] | date = January 19, 2011 | first = Borys | last = Kit | access-date = July 15, 2011 | archive-date = January 21, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110121031644/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/heat-vision/robert-downey-jr-oz-johnny-73615 | url-status = live }}</ref> Depp liked the role but was already committed to ''[[The Lone Ranger (2013 film)|The Lone Ranger]]''. In February, [[James Franco]] accepted $7&nbsp;million to star in the film, five months before filming was scheduled to begin.<ref name=Galloway-2013-02-27/> Franco and Raimi had previously worked together on the [[Spider-Man (2002 film series)|''Spider-Man'' trilogy]], in which Franco played [[Peter Parker (2002 film series character)|Peter Parker]]'s best friend [[Harry Osborn (2002 film series character)|Harry Osborn]].<ref name="dl1">{{cite news | first = Mike | last = Fleming | date = February 25, 2011 |title=James Franco closing Disney deal for ''Oz the Great And Powerful'' |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |url=https://deadline.com/2011/02/james-franco-closing-disney-deal-for-oz-the-great-and-powerful-108962/ | access-date = July 15, 2011 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130205034439/http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/james-franco-closing-disney-deal-for-oz-the-great-and-powerful/ | archive-date = February 5, 2013 }}</ref> Franco received training for the role from magician [[Lance Burton]].<ref name=Galloway-2013-02-27/>

Kapner adapted the character of the Wizard from the novels to conceptualize an original story, and Raimi ensured that the film would "nod lovingly" to the 1939 film by inserting references and homages to it.<ref>{{cite news |last=del&nbsp;Barco |first=Mandalit |date=March 8, 2013 |title=''Oz, the Great'' and often imitated |series=[[All Things Considered]] |publisher=[[NPR]] |url=https://www.npr.org/2013/03/08/173735806/oz-the-great-and-often-imitated |access-date=March 10, 2013 |quote=We're trying to nod lovingly in its direction and make our own original, fun, wacky, emotional story that lives on its own. }}</ref>

Disney wanted to reduce the film's [[production budget]] to $200&nbsp;million.<ref name="dl1"/>{{Failed verification|date=April 2024}} Casting calls were put out for local actors in Michigan.<ref>{{cite news |title=Casting call for Disney's ''Oz the Great & Powerful'' |date=June 10, 2011 |website=[[WWJ-TV]] |location=Detroit, MI |url=http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2011/06/10/casting-call-for-disneys-oz-the-great-and-powerful |url-status=live |access-date=July 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310044626/http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2011/06/10/casting-call-for-disneys-oz-the-great-and-powerful/ |archive-date=March 10, 2013 }}</ref>

===Filming===
Filming for ''Oz the Great and Powerful'' began on July 25, 2011, at [[Motown Motion Picture Studios|Raleigh Michigan Studios]] in [[Pontiac, Michigan]], employing 3D cameras, and was completed on December 22, 2011.<ref name=35-SlashFilm/> The audio switches from monaural to stereo and surround sound.

Raimi opted to use [[Practical effect|practical sets]] in conjunction with CGI during filming.<ref>{{cite news |last=Zeitchik |first=Steven |date=July 27, 2011 |title=''Wizard of Oz'' prequel will win over skeptics, star says |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/24-frames/story/2011-07-27/wizard-of-oz-prequel-will-win-over-skeptics-star-says |url-status=live |access-date=January 31, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131222203912/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/07/wizard-of-oz-james-franco-zach-braff-mila-kunis-sam-raimi.html |archive-date=December 22, 2013 }}</ref> Physical sets were constructed so the actors could have a visual reference, as opposed to using [[Chroma key|green screen technology]] for every scene. Chroma key compositing was only used for background pieces.<ref name=35-SlashFilm>{{cite web |last=Sciretta |first=Peter | date = January 31, 2013 |title=35&nbsp;things we learned on the set of Sam Raimi's ''Oz the Great And Powerful'' |website=[[/Film]] (slashfilm.com) |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/35-things-we-learned-on-the-set-of-sam-raimis-oz-the-great-and-powerful/ | access-date=January 31, 2013 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130220095900/http://www.slashfilm.com/35-things-we-learned-on-the-set-of-sam-raimis-oz-the-great-and-powerful/ | archive-date = February 20, 2013 }}</ref> [[Zach Braff]] and [[Joey King]] were on set, recording their dialogue simultaneously with the other actors, whenever their CGI characters were present in a scene. Puppetry was employed for a physical version of the China Girl to serve as a visual key-point for actors to manipulate.<ref name=35-SlashFilmp2>{{harvp|Sciretta|2013|p=[https://www.slashfilm.com/35-things-we-learned-on-the-set-of-sam-raimis-oz-the-great-and-powerful/2/ 2]}} {{Cite web |url=http://www.slashfilm.com/35-things-we-learned-on-the-set-of-sam-raimis-oz-the-great-and-powerful/2/ |title=archived page&nbsp;2 |access-date=17 February 2013 |archive-date=5 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130305154733/http://www.slashfilm.com/35-things-we-learned-on-the-set-of-sam-raimis-oz-the-great-and-powerful/2/ |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref> Braff wore a blue motion capture suit to create Finley's movements, and had a camera close to his face for the flying sequences to obtain facial movements.

Art director [[Robert Stromberg]], who collaborated on ''[[Avatar (2009 film)|Avatar]]'' and ''[[Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)|Alice in Wonderland]]'', drew inspiration from the films of [[Frank Capra]] and [[James Wong Howe]] to achieve the [[Art Deco]] design he envisioned for the [[Emerald City]]. Stromberg contrasted the colorful tonal qualities of ''Oz'' with the restrained appearance of ''Alice'', affirming that although both films explore similar fantasy worlds, the overall atmosphere and landscape of each "are completely different".<ref name=McIntyre-2013-03-01>{{cite news |last=McIntyre |first=Gina |date=March 1, 2013 |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'': Robert Stromberg on Raimi, Burton, Baum |newspaper=[[The Los Angeles Times]] |url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/oz-the-great-and-powerful-robert-stromberg-on-raimi-burton-baum/#/0 |access-date=March 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131007144831/http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/oz-the-great-and-powerful-robert-stromberg-on-raimi-burton-baum/%23/0 |archive-date=October 7, 2013 }}</ref>{{efn|
If you really broke it down, they're completely different: The elements in those two movies are completely different.<ref name=McIntyre-2013-03-01/>
}} In 2011, Stromberg and his team visited the [[Walt Disney]] archives during the pre-production phase to reference production art from Disney's animated films such as [[Pinocchio (1940 film)|''Pinocchio'']], ''[[Bambi]]'', [[Fantasia (1940 film)|''Fantasia'']], [[Cinderella (1950 film)|''Cinderella'']], [[Sleeping Beauty (1959 film)|''Sleeping Beauty'']], [[Alice in Wonderland (1951 film)|''Alice in Wonderland'']] and [[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'']], drawing from designs and textures in order to give certain settings in the film an affectionate nod to the Disney style.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ehrbar |first=Greg |date=March 8, 2013 |title=Sights & sounds at Disney parks: An artist's journey from Disney parks to Oz |type=blog |series=Disney Parks |website=Disney (disneyparks.disney.go.com) |url=http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/03/sights-sounds-at-disney-parks-an-artists-journey-from-disney-parks-to-oz/ |access-date=March 9, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310025715/http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/03/sights-sounds-at-disney-parks-an-artists-journey-from-disney-parks-to-oz/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 10, 2013 }}</ref> Costume designer [[Gary Jones (costume designer)|Gary Jones]] focused on authenticity with his wardrobe designs:
: "We started by doing a lot of research and having ideas of the ways (costumes) should look, in order to be {{grey|[historically accurate]}} but as we went on, we really began creating a whole new world."<ref>{{cite news |last=Longsdorf |first=Amy |date=February 28, 2013 |title=Gary Jones finds the right fit for stars of ''Oz'' |newspaper=[[The Mercury (Pennsylvania)|The Mercury]] |place=Pennsylvania, US |url=http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130303/LIFE01/130309989/gary-jones-finds-the-right-fit-for-stars-of-oz- |access-date=March 7, 2013}}</ref>

{{quote box|width=30%|align=right|quote=My first instinct was, there are such iconic images in the ''Wizard of Oz'' movie, it would be wrong for us to re-create the Yellow Brick Road or the Emerald City in a different way. We had to go 180 degrees in the other direction. We're just going to have to make our own Oz.|source=Sam Raimi on recreating the Land of Oz under legalities.<ref name=Galloway-2013-02-27/>}}
Although the film is a spiritual prequel to the 1939 [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] film [[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|''The Wizard of Oz'']], it was not allowed legally to be considered as such. The filmmakers had to toe a fine line between calling the film to mind but not [[Copyright infringement|infringing]] upon it. To that end, Disney had a copyright expert on set to ensure no infringement occurred. The production team worked under the constraint of abiding by the stipulations set forth by [[Warner Bros.]], the legal owner of the rights to iconic elements of the 1939 film (via its ownership of [[Turner Entertainment]], which possesses the pre-1986 MGM film library), including the [[ruby slippers]] worn by [[Judy Garland]]. Therefore, Disney was unable to use them nor any original character likenesses from the 1939 film.<ref>{{cite news |last=Zeitchik |first=Steven |date=March 1, 2013 |title=No place like Oz? Disney bets audiences are ready to return |newspaper=[[The Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-ca-wizard-oz-20130303,0,2458314.story |access-date=March 1, 2013 }}</ref> This extended to the green of the Wicked Witch's skin, for which Disney used what its legal department considered a sufficiently different shade dubbed "Theostein" (a [[portmanteau]] of "Theodora" and "[[Frankenstein]]").<ref>{{cite news |last=Barnes |first=Brooks |date=February 28, 2013 |title=We aren't in the old Kansas, Toto |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/03/movies/oz-the-great-and-powerful-disneys-wizard-of-oz-prequel.html|access-date=February 28, 2013 }}</ref> Additionally, the studio could not use the signature [[Melanocytic nevus|chin mole]] of [[Margaret Hamilton (actress)|Margaret Hamilton]]'s portrayal of the [[Wicked Witch of the West]], nor could they employ the [[yellow brick road]]'s swirl design for [[Munchkinland]].<ref name=35-SlashFilmp2/> The expert also ensured that the Emerald City was not too close in appearance to the original Emerald City in the 1939 film.

While Warner and Disney did not engage in copyright battle, they did file rival trademarks. In October 2012, Disney filed a trademark on ''Oz the Great and Powerful'' while one week later Warner filed its own trademarks for ''The Great and Powerful Oz''. The [[United States Patent and Trademark Office|U.S. Patent and Trademark Office]] suspended Warner's attempt at a trademark, because Disney had filed for basically the same trademark the week before.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gardner |first=Eriq |date=February 13, 2012 |title=Disney, Warner Bros. fighting over ''Wizard of Oz'' trademarks |department=Exclusive |newspaper=[[Hollywood Reporter]] |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/wizard-of-oz-disney-warner-bros-289305 |access-date=March 19, 2018}}</ref> 

In addition to the legal issues, the film was also faced with delays when several cast members went on hiatus due to unrelated commitments and circumstances. [[Rachel Weisz]] left halfway through the shoot to film her entire role in [[The Bourne Legacy (film)|''The Bourne Legacy'']], [[Michelle Williams (actress)|Michelle Williams]] was required to promote the release of ''[[My Week with Marilyn]]'' and Franco's father died during production. Roth compared the task of managing overlapping schedules to "being an air-traffic controller". [[Mila Kunis]]'s makeup and prosthetics were supervised by [[Greg Nicotero]] and demanded four hours to apply and another hour to remove, with Kunis taking nearly two months to fully recover from the subsequent removal of the makeup from her skin.<ref name=Galloway-2013-02-27/><ref>{{cite news |last=McIntyre |first=Gina |date=11 March 2013 |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'' and ''Walking Dead''? Nicotero is connection |newspaper=[[The Los Angeles Times]] |url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/oz-the-great-and-powerful-and-walking-dead-nicotero-is-connection/ |url-status=dead |access-date=28 July 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130728060104/http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/oz-the-great-and-powerful-and-walking-dead-nicotero-is-connection/ |archive-date=July 28, 2013}}</ref> Raimi had to edit the frightening nature of several scenes to secure Disney's desired rated PG from the [[Motion Picture Association of America|MPAA]].<ref name="THRFeb2013 Galloway-2013-02-27" /> [[Sony Pictures Imageworks]] was contracted to create the film's visual effects.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Sony Pictures, Imageworks, Vancouver Studio continues to build stable of talent with addition of Jason Dowdeswell, Steve Nichols |date=February 6, 2013 |agency=PR Newswire |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sony-pictures-imageworks-vancouver-studio-continues-to-build-stable-of-talent-with-addition-of-jason-dowdeswell-steve-nichols-190074721.html |access-date=March 7, 2013 }}</ref>

===Music===
{{Main|Oz the Great and Powerful (soundtrack)}}
In June 2011, composer [[Danny Elfman]] was chosen to score the film, despite Elfman and Raimi falling out over ''[[Spider-Man 2]]'' and Elfman having declared they could never work together again.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Faraci |first1=Devin |last2=Epstein |first2=Daniel Robert |date=October 13, 2005 |title=Elfman vs. Raimi: Round&nbsp;II |website=Chud.com |url=http://www.chud.com/4718/elfman-vs-raimi-round-ii/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218003347/http://www.chud.com/4718/elfman-vs-raimi-round-ii/ |archive-date=February 18, 2013 |access-date=February 17, 2013 }}</ref> He noted that the film's score was accessibly quick to produce, with a majority of the music being written in six weeks.<ref>{{cite news |last=McIntyre |first=Gina |date=January 29, 2013 |title=''Oz'': Teaser, character posters hint at Sam Raimi's lavish vision |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/oz-teaser-character-posters-hint-at-sam-raimis-lavish-vision#/0 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 31, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130219010709/http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/oz-teaser-character-posters-hint-at-sam-raimis-lavish-vision/#/0 |archive-date=February 19, 2013}}</ref> Regarding the tonal quality of the score, Elfman stated, "We're going to take an approach that's old-school but not self-consciously old-fashioned. Let the melodrama be melodrama, let everything be what it is. I also think there's the advantage that I'm able to write narratively, and when I'm able to write narratively I can also move quicker because that's my natural instincts, I can tell a story in the music."<ref>{{cite news |last=McIntyre |first=Gina |date=January 10, 2013 |title=Composing wizard Danny Elfman talks sweeping, gigantic ''Oz'' score |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2013/01/10/danny-elfman-oz-score/#/0 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 31, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130216094530/http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/danny-elfman-oz-score/%23/0 |archive-date=2013-02-16}}</ref>

American singer-songwriter and actress [[Mariah Carey]] recorded a promotional single called "[[Almost Home (Mariah Carey song)|Almost Home]]" written by Carey, Simone Porter, Justin Gray, Lindsey Ray, Tor Erik Hermansen, and Mikkel Eriksen (a.k.a. [[Stargate (music producers)|Stargate]]) for the soundtrack of the film. The single was released on February 19, 2013, by [[Island Records]].<ref>{{cite press release | title = Global superstar Mariah Carey records "Almost Home" for Disney's ''Oz the Great and Powerful'' | date = February 6, 2013 |edition=Updated release | publisher = [[Walt Disney Pictures]] |agency=[[Reuters]] | url = https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/06/updated-disneys-oz-idUSnPnNY55543+160+PRN20130206 | url-status = dead | access-date = February 18, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130219011400/http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/06/updated-disneys-oz-idUSnPnNY55543+160+PRN20130206 | archive-date = February 19, 2013 }}</ref> The original soundtrack to ''Oz the Great and Powerful'' was released digitally and physically by [[Walt Disney Records]] on March 5, 2013.<ref>{{cite news |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'' original soundtrack |website=[[AllMusic]] |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/oz-the-great-and-powerful-original-soundtrack--mw0002495537 |access-date=March 9, 2023 }}</ref> The physical CD release was released in association with [[Intrada Records]] on March 26.<ref>{{cite news |title=Intrada and Walt Disney Records to release Danny Elfman's ''Oz the Great and Powerful'' score |date=February 5, 2013 |website=Film Music Reporter |url=http://filmmusicreporter.com/2013/02/05/intrada-and-walt-disney-records-to-release-danny-elfmans-oz-the-great-and-powerful-score/ |access-date=March 9, 2013 }}</ref>

==Release==
===Theatrical===
''Oz the Great and Powerful'' premiered at the [[El Capitan Theatre]] on February 13, 2013, and was released theatrically in the United States on March 8, 2013.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Semigran |first=Aly |date=May 25, 2011 |title=Oz: The Great and Powerful release date |url=https://ew.com/article/2011/05/25/oz-the-great-and-powerful-release-date/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=July 15, 2011}}</ref><ref name="premiere">{{cite news |last1 = Helwig |first2 = Sophie |last2 = Schillaci |date = February 14, 2013 |title = ''Oz the Great and Powerful'': James Franco, Mila Kunis celebrate the Hollywood premiere |newspaper = [[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/oz-great-powerful-james-franco-421524 |access-date = February 15, 2013 }} Spencer appears at [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/oz-great-powerful-james-franco-421524#10 slide&nbsp;10], Cobbs appears at [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/oz-great-powerful-james-franco-421524#15 slide&nbsp;15], Campbell and Raimi appear at [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/oz-great-powerful-james-franco-421524#11 slide 11]</ref> Disney opened the film in wide release in 3,912 theaters.<ref name=Cunningham-2013-03-06>{{cite news |last=Cunningham |first=Todd |date=March 6, 2013 |title=Hollywood hopes ''Oz'' can turn tide for ailing 2013 box office |page=2 |newspaper=[[The Wrap]] |url=https://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/hollywood-hopes-oz-can-turn-tide-ailing-2013-box-office-80216?page=2,2 |url-status=dead |access-date=March 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073707/http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/hollywood-hopes-oz-can-turn-tide-ailing-2013-box-office-80216/?page=2,2 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 }}</ref>{{efn|
The 3‑D factor is going to give ''Oz {{grey|[the Great and Powerful]}}'' a lift as well. Of the 3,912&nbsp;theaters that will be screening the ''Wizard of Oz'' prequel, 3,056&nbsp;will be 3‑D and 307&nbsp;will be Imax theaters, and they'll be charging premium prices.<ref name=Cunningham-2013-03-06/>
}}

To promote the film, Disney collaborated with [[IMAX Corporation]] and [[Home Shopping Network|HSN]] to coordinate a [[hot air balloon]] campaign across the United States beginning in California at the [[Walt Disney Studios (Burbank)|Walt Disney Studios]] lot in [[Burbank, California|Burbank]], stopping at four locations; the El Capitan Theatre during the world premiere, the [[Disneyland Resort]] in [[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]], the [[Daytona International Speedway]] in Florida and [[Central Park]] in New York City.<ref>{{cite press release |title=''Journey to Oz Balloon Tour'' takes to the skies for Disney's ''Oz the Great and Powerful'' |date=February 12, 2013 |publisher=The [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|Walt Disney Studios]] |url=http://www.waltdisneystudios.com/corp/news/1263 |url-status=dead |access-date=March 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130717225124/http://www.waltdisneystudios.com/corp/news/1263 |archive-date=July 17, 2013 }}</ref> Disney also promoted the film through its theme parks; [[Epcot]]'s [[Epcot#Annual events|International Flower and Garden Festival]] featured a multi-purpose garden and play area themed to the film and [[Disney California Adventure]] hosted sample viewings inside the [[Muppet*Vision 3D]] theatre.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bevil |first=Dewayne |date=March 7, 2013 |title=Adding food and wine to Epcot's Flower & Garden fest |newspaper=[[The Orlando Sentinel]] |url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-daily-disney/os-dewayne-bevil-epcot-flower-garden-20130307,0,5092230.column |url-status=dead |access-date=March 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411154626/http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-daily-disney/os-dewayne-bevil-epcot-flower-garden-20130307,0,5092230.column |archive-date=April 11, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Glover |first=Erin |date=February 15, 2013 |title=Get a sneak peek at ''Oz The Great and Powerful'' at Disney |quote=California Adventure Park during 'limited-time magic' |website=The [[Disney Parks]] (disneyparks.disney.go.com) |type=blog |url=http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/02/get-a-sneak-peek-at-oz-the-great-and-powerful-at-disney-california-adventure-park-during-limited-time-magic/ |url-status=dead |access-date=March 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130426064856/http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/02/get-a-sneak-peek-at-oz-the-great-and-powerful-at-disney-california-adventure-park-during-limited-time-magic/ |archive-date=April 26, 2013 }}</ref> The estimated marketing campaign cost upwards of $100&nbsp;million.<ref name="THRFeb2013 Galloway-2013-02-27" />

===Home media===
''Oz the Great and Powerful'' was released on [[Blu-ray 3D]], [[Blu-ray]], [[DVD]], and digital download by [[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment]] on June 11, 2013.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'' comes to home video June&nbsp;11 |date=May 1, 2013 |website=ComingSoon.net |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=103677 |url-status=dead |access-date=May 2, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110223431/https://www.comingsoon.net/dvd/news/103677-oz-the-great-and-powerful-comes-to-home-video-june-11 |archive-date=2022-01-10 }}</ref> The film is Disney's first home media release to exclude a physical digital copy disc. Instead, it only provides a digital code for download.<ref>{{cite news |last=Arnold |first=Thomas |date=3 June 2013 |title=Disney eliminating "digital copy" |newspaper=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-eliminating-digital-copy-562021 |access-date=7 June 2013 }}</ref> ''Oz the Great and Powerful'' debuted at number one in its first week of home media release in overall disc sales with 46% of its first week sales from Blu-ray Discs.<ref>{{cite news |last=Oshiro |first=Kurtis |date=June 19, 2013 |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'' tops home entertainment charts |newspaper=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oz-great-powerful-tops-home-571935 | url-status =live |access-date=2013-06-19 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130624134835/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oz-great-powerful-tops-home-571935 | archive-date = June 24, 2013 }}</ref> The film has earned $52&nbsp;million in sales.<ref>{{cite news |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'' |date=9 September 2013 |website=The Numbers |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Oz-The-Great-and-Powerful#tab=video-sales |access-date=30 January 2015 }}</ref> ''Oz the Great and Powerful'' began streaming on [[Disney+]] on November 29, 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=Next on Disney+: November&nbsp;2024 |website=Disney+|date=17 October 2024 |url=https://press.disneyplus.com/news/next-on-disney-plus-november-2024 |access-date=29 November 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Ritika |last=Singh |date=November 23, 2024 |title=Disney Plus schedule November&nbsp;25 – December&nbsp;1 2024: New TV shows & movies being added |website=ComingSoon.net |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/guides/news/1881681-disney-plus-schedule-november-25-december-1-2024-new-tv-shows-movies-being-added |access-date=November 22, 2024 }}</ref>

==Reception==
===Box office===
''Oz the Great and Powerful'' earned $234.9&nbsp;million in the United States and Canada, and $258.4&nbsp;million in other countries for a worldwide total of $493.3&nbsp;million.<ref name=BOM>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=oz.htm |title=''Oz, the Great and Powerful'' (2013) | website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |date=August 28, 2013}}</ref> Worldwide, it was the thirteenth-highest-grossing [[2013 in film|film of 2013]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Domestic box office for 2013 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |publisher=[[IMDb]] |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=2013&p=.htm |access-date=June 9, 2014 }}</ref> ''[[Deadline Hollywood]]'' calculated the net profit of the film to be $36.4&nbsp;million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues, making it the 13th most profitable release of 2013.<ref name="profit">{{cite news |last=Fleming |first=Mike, Jr. |date=March 21, 2014 |title=2013's most valuable blockbuster – {{nobr|#5 ''The Hunger''}} ''Games: Catching Fire'' vs. {{nobr|#12 ''World''}} ''War&nbsp;Z''&nbsp;; {{nbsp|#4 ''Hobbit: The''}} ''Desolation of Smaug'' vs. {{nbsp|#13 ''Oz the''}} ''Great And Powerful'' |newspaper=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |url=https://deadline.com/2014/03/hunger-games-catching-fire-hobbit-desolation-of-smaug-profit-most-profitable-movies-2013-701686/ |access-date=March 22, 2015 }}</ref> It topped the box office on its worldwide opening weekend with $149&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |title=All-time world-wide opening records at the box office |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |publisher=[[IMDb]] |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/worldwideopenings.htm |access-date=August 30, 2013 }}</ref> Before its theatrical release, several media outlets reported that ''Oz the Great and Powerful'' was expected to duplicate the box office performance of 2010's ''[[Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)|Alice in Wonderland]]''.<ref name=Smith-2013-03-07>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Grady |date=March 7, 2013 |title=Will ''Oz'' be as 'great and powerful' as ''Alice in Wonderland''? |department=Box office preview |newspaper=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |url=https://ew.com/article/2013/03/07/box-office-preview-oz-great-and-powerful/ |access-date=May 25, 2013 }}</ref>{{efn|
The fantasy film {{grey|[''Alice in Wonderland'']}}, which also opened in March, started with $116.1&nbsp;million on opening weekend, but without the cachet of Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, it's unlikely that ''Oz{{grey|[the Great and Powerful]}}'' will achieve such a gargantuan figure.<ref name=Smith-2013-03-07/>
}}<ref name=Brooks-2013-03-03>{{cite news |last=Barnes |first=Brooks |date=March 3, 2013 |title=One more trip to {{grey|[the]}} Land of Oz |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/04/business/media/disney-gambles-on-box-office-wizardry-of-oz.html |access-date=May 25, 2013 }}</ref>{{efn|
The company {{grey|[Disney]}} is betting that a new twist on a story moviegoers already love will result in a hit on par with ''Alice in Wonderland'', which took in more than $1&nbsp;billion in 2010.<ref name=Brooks-2013-03-03/>
}}<ref name="CBS-News-2013-03=11">{{cite news |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'' tops box office with $80M debut |date=March 11, 2013 |website=[[CBS News]] |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/oz-the-great-and-powerful-tops-box-office-with-80m-debut/ |url-status=live |access-date=May 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014021207/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/oz-the-great-and-powerful-tops-box-office-with-80m-debut/ |archive-date=2018-10-14 }}</ref>{{efn|
''Oz {{grey|[the Great and Powerful]}}'' could follow in the footsteps of Disney's ''Alice in Wonderland'', another costly 3-D film, which opened on the same weekend in 2010 and went on to gross over $1&nbsp;billion worldwide.<ref name="CBS-News-2013-03=11"/>
}} However, ''Oz'' accumulated less than half of ''Alice''<nowiki/>'s worldwide gross.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Jungle Book'' v ''Oz'' v ''Alice'' v ''Maleficent'' v ''Cinderella'' |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |publisher=[[IMDb]] |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/showdowns/chart/?id=aliceoz.htm |access-date=May 26, 2013 }}</ref> It remained the highest-grossing Oz-related film until December&nbsp;2024 when it was out-grossed by [[Universal Pictures|Universal]]'s ''[[Wicked (2024 film)|Wicked]]'', the first installment of [[Wicked (musical)|that musical]]'s [[Wicked (film franchise)|two-part film adaptation]].

Preliminary reports had the film tracking for an $80–100&nbsp;million debut in North America.<ref>{{cite news|last=McClintock|first=Pamela |date=March 7, 2013 |title=''Oz'' eyeing great and powerful global opening |department=Box Office Preview |newspaper=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-preview-oz-eying-426641|access-date=March 7, 2013 }}</ref> The movie earned $2&nbsp;million from {{nobr|9 {{sc|pm}}}} showings on Thursday night.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McClintock |first=Pamela |date=2013-03-08 |title=''Oz'' grosses stellar $2&nbsp;million in Thursday night shows |department=Box Office Report |newspaper=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/oz-great-powerful-earns-2-426875/ |access-date=2013-03-08 |language=en-US}}</ref> For its opening day, ''Oz the Great and Powerful'' grossed $24.1&nbsp;million, the fourth-highest March opening day.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 9, 2013 |title=''Oz'' conjures $24.1&nbsp;million debut |department=Friday Report |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |publisher=[[IMDb]] |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3648914436/ |access-date=2023-03-09 }}</ref> During its opening weekend, the film topped the box office with $79.1&nbsp;million, the third-highest March opening weekend.<ref name=boxofficemojo>{{cite web |title=''Oz'' has magical debut, ''Dead Man'' dies |date=March 10, 2013 |department=Weekend Report |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |publisher=[[IMDb]] |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3632137220/ |access-date=2023-03-10 }}</ref> Despite the film's solid debut, which was larger than nearly all comparable titles, it clearly lagged behind [[Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)|''Alice in Wonderland'']]'s opening ($116.1&nbsp;million). The film's 3-D share of the opening weekend was 53%. Females made up 52% of the audience. Families represented 41% of attendance, while couples accounted for 43%.<ref name=boxofficemojo/> The film retained first place at the box office during its second weekend with $41.3&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news |title=''Oz'' leads, ''Call'' exceeds, ''Burt'' bombs |date=March 17, 2013 |department=Weekend Report |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |publisher=[[IMDb]] |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed2742944772/ |access-date=March 18, 2013 }}</ref>

Outside North America, the film earned $69.9&nbsp;million on its opening weekend from 46&nbsp;territories. Among all markets, its highest-grossing debuts were achieved in Russia and the [[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]] ($14.7&nbsp;million), China ($9.06&nbsp;million),<ref>{{cite news |title=''Mr. Right'' rules; ''Oz'' posts respectable debut |website=Box Office |url=http://www.boxoffice.com/china/2013-04-02-box-office-mr-right-rules-oz-posts-respectable-debut |access-date=October 1, 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130615070504/http://www.boxoffice.com/china/2013-04-02-box-office-mr-right-rules-oz-posts-respectable-debut |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 15, 2013 }}</ref> France and the Maghreb region ($5.77&nbsp;million).<ref name=oz-overseas>{{cite web |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'' (2012) |series=International box office results |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |publisher=[[IMDb]] |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&id=oz.htm |access-date=October 1, 2014 }}</ref> The film's openings trailed ''Alice in Wonderland'' in all major markets except Russia and the CIS.<ref>{{cite news |last=Subers |first=Ray |date=March 12, 2013 |title=''Oz'' opens to $69.9 million overseas |department=Around-the-World Roundup |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |publisher=[[IMDb]] |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3648&p=.htm |access-date=April 13, 2013}}</ref> It retained first place at the box office outside North America for a second weekend.<ref>{{cite news |last=Subers |first=Ray |date=March 19, 2013 |title=''Oz'' rules again, ''Die Hard'' scores in China |department=Around-the-World Roundup |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |publisher=[[IMDb]] |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3653&p=.htm |access-date=April 13, 2013}}</ref> In total grosses, ''Oz''{{'}}s largest countries are Russia and the CIS ($27.4&nbsp;million), China ($25.9&nbsp;million) and the UK, Ireland and Malta ($23.4&nbsp;million).<ref name="oz-overseas"/>

===Critical response===
On [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''Oz the Great and Powerful'' received an approval rating of 56% based on 270&nbsp;reviews, with an average rating of 6.00/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "It suffers from some tonal inconsistency and a deflated sense of wonder, but ''Oz the Great and Powerful'' still packs enough visual dazzle and clever wit to be entertaining in its own right."<ref>{{cite web |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'' (2013) |date= January 5, 2017 |website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]] |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/oz_the_great_and_powerful/ |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]] the film holds a score of 44&nbsp;out of&nbsp;100, based on 42&nbsp;critics, indicating "mixed to average reviews".<ref>{{cite web |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'' reviews |website= [[Metacritic]] |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/oz-the-great-and-powerful |access-date=March 5, 2013 }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref name=CinemaScore>{{cite web |title=CinemaScore |website=cinemascore.com |type=main |url=https://m.cinemascore.com }}</ref>

[[Kim Newman]], writing for ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'', gave the film 4&nbsp;out of 5&nbsp;stars and wrote
:"If there are post-''[[Harry Potter]]'' children, who don't know or care about ''The Wizard Of Oz'', they might be at sea with this story about a not-very-nice grownup in a magic land, but long-term Oz watchers will be enchanted and enthralled ... Mila Kunis gets a gold star for excellence in bewitchery and Sam Raimi can settle securely behind the curtain as a mature master of illusion."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Newman |first=Kim |author-link=Kim Newman |date=March 2013 |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'' |type=film review |magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |edition=online |url=https://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=137178 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420195409/https://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=137178 |archive-date=April 20, 2013 |access-date=March 5, 2013}}</ref>
Critic Alonso Duralde also admired the movie:
: "That ''Oz the Great and Powerful'' is so thoroughly effective both on its own terms and as a prequel to one of the most beloved movies ever made indicates that this team has magic to match any witch or wizard."<ref>{{cite web |last=Duralde |first=Alonso |date=March 5, 2013 |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'' review: Sam Raimi manages to fill some mighty-big ruby slippers |website=The Wrap |url=https://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/oz-great-and-powerful-review-sam-raimi-manages-fill-some-mighty-big-ruby-slippers-80141 |access-date= March 5, 2013}}</ref>
[[Leonard Maltin]] on ''[[IndieWire]]'' claimed that
: "No movie ever can, or will, replace 1939's ''The Wizard Of Oz'', but taken on its own terms, this eye-filling fantasy is an entertaining riff on how the Wizard of that immortal film found his way to Oz."<ref>{{cite news |last=Maltin |first=Leonard |author-link=Leonard Maltin |date=March 8, 2013 |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'' |type=film review |website=[[IndieWire]] |url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/leonardmaltin/oz-the-great-and-powerful |url-status=dead |access-date=March 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310032447/http://blogs.indiewire.com/leonardmaltin/oz-the-great-and-powerful |archive-date=March 10, 2013 }}</ref>
Roth Cornet rated the film 7.8&nbsp;out of&nbsp;10 on ''[[IGN]]'', and wrote
: "The film is expansive and larger-than-life in scope and so are the performances, overall. Franco in particular hams it up and is often playing to the balcony ... The 3−D is utilized just as it should be in a children's fantasy epic such as this – overtly, but with skill. Snowflakes, music boxes and mysterious animals all leap through the screen towards the audience as the story unfolds."<ref>{{cite web |last=Cornet |first=Roth |date= March 4, 2013 |title=Who is a good witch; what is a great wizard? |type=film review |website=[[IGN]] |url= https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/04/oz-the-great-and-powerful-review |access-date= March 5, 2013}}</ref>

[[Justin Chang]] of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' had a mixed reaction, writing that the film
: ... "gets some mileage out of its game performances, luscious production design and the unfettered enthusiasm director Sam Raimi brings to a thin, simplistic origin story."<ref name=JChang>{{cite news |last=Chang |first=Justin |date=February 28, 2013 |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'' |department=Film Review |newspaper=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url=https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/film-review-oz-the-great-and-powerful-820799/|access-date=March 6, 2013 }}</ref> He also compared the film's scale with the [[Star Wars|''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy]] adding,
: "In a real sense, ''Oz the Great and Powerful'' has a certain kinship with [[George Lucas]]'s ''Star Wars'' [[Star Wars prequel trilogy|prequels]], in the way it presents a beautiful but borderline-sterile digital update of a world that was richer, purer and a lot more fun in lower-tech form. Here, too, the actors often look artificially superimposed against their CG backdrops, though the intensity of the fakery generates its own visual fascination."<ref name=JChang/>
[[/Film]] rated the film 7&nbsp;out of&nbsp;10, saying it had "many charms" while considering it to be
: "basically ''[[Army of Darkness]]'': (Normal guy lands in magical land, is forced to go on quest to save that land.) But just when you see Raimi's kinetic, signature style starting to unleash, the story forces the film back into its Disney shell to play to the masses. We're left with a film that's entertaining, a little scarier than you'd expect, but extremely inconsistent."<ref>{{cite web |last=Lussier |first=Germain |date= March 5, 2013 |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'' review: A Sam Raimi movie wrapped inside a Disney movie |website=[[/Film]] (slashfilm.com) |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/oz-the-great-and-powerful-review-a-sam-raimi-movie-wrapped-inside-a-disney-movie/ |access-date= March 5, 2013}}</ref>

[[Richard Roeper]], writing for [[Roger Ebert]], noted the film's omnipresent visual effects but was largely disappointed by the performance of some cast members:
: "... to see Williams so bland and sugary as Glinda, and Kunis so flat and ineffectual as the heartsick Theodora&nbsp;..."<ref>{{cite web |last=Roeper |first=Richard |date=March 6, 2013 |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'' review - wicked or wussy: Which witch is worse? |department=[[Roger Ebert]] |newspaper=[[The Chicago Sun-Times]] |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130306/REVIEWS/130309990 |url-status=dead |access-date=March 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309193242/https://www.rogerebert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130306/REVIEWS/130309990/1023 |archive-date=March 9, 2013 }}</ref>
[[Marshall Fine]] of ''[[HuffPost|The Huffington Post]]'' was unimpressed, writing,
: "Oh, it's exciting enough for a six-year-old; anyone older, however, will already have been exposed to so much on TV, at the movies and on the Internet that this will seem like so much visual cotton-candy. Even a sophisticated grade-schooler will find these doings weak and overblown."<ref>{{cite news |last=Fine |first=Marshall |date=March 4, 2013 |title=''Oz, the Great and Powerful'' |department=Movie review |website=[[The Huffington Post]] |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/movie-review-ioz-the-grea_b_2807349 |access-date=March 9, 2023}}</ref>
Similarly, [[Todd McCarthy]] criticized the characterization, writing that the film's supporting cast
: "can't begin to compare with their equivalents in the original ... so the burden rests entirely upon Franco and Williams, whose dialogue exchanges are repetitive and feel tentative."<ref>{{cite news |last=McCarthy |first=Todd |date=February 28, 2013 |title=''Oz the Great and Powerful'' |department=Film Review |newspaper=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie/oz-great-powerful/review/425417|access-date=March 6, 2013 }}</ref>
''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' agreed, giving the film a C+ and saying that the "miscast" Franco
: "lacks the humor, charm, and gee-whiz wonder we're meant to feel as he trades wisecracks with a flying monkey ... and soars above a field of poppies in a giant soap bubble. If ''he''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s not enchanted, how are ''we'' supposed to be?"
and complaining that "while Raimi's ''Oz'' is like retinal [[Crack cocaine|crack]], he never seduces our hearts and minds."<ref name=EW/>
Alisha Coelho of [[in.com]] gave the movie 2.5&nbsp;stars, saying "''Oz The Great and Powerful'' doesn't leave a lasting impression, but is an {{sc|A}}-ok{{grey|[ay]}} watch."<ref>{{cite web |author=Coelho |first=Alisha |date=March 5, 2013 |title=''Oz the Great & Powerful'' is {{sc|A}}-ok{{grey|[ay]}} |department=Movie Review |website=[[in.com]] |url=http://www.in.com/news/entertainment/movie-review-oz-the-great-powerful-is-aok-50192564-in-1.html |url-status=dead |access-date=March 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608111612/http://www.in.com/news/entertainment/movie-review-oz-the-great-powerful-is-aok-50192564-in-1.html |archive-date=June 8, 2013 }}{{Rating|2.5|5}}</ref>

==Accolades==
{| class="wikitable" width="95%"
! colspan="5" style="background: LightSteelBlue;" | Awards
|-
! Award
! Date of ceremony
! Category
! Recipients
! Result
|-
| [[Costume Designers Guild]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Costume Designers Guild Unveils Awards Nominations|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/costume-designers-guild-unveils-awards-669152|access-date=18 February 2014|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=8 January 2014}}</ref>
| [[16th Costume Designers Guild Awards|February 22, 2014]]
| [[Costume Designers Guild Award for Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film|Excellence in Fantasy Film]]
| [[Gary Jones (costume designer)|Gary Jones]] and Michael Kutsche
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[Golden Trailer Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |date=May 5, 2013 |url=https://deadline.com/2013/05/2013-golden-trailer-awards-winners-iron-man-3-490631/ |title=Disney, 'Iron Man 3' Dominate 2013 Golden Trailer Awards |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=May 10, 2013 |archive-date=May 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507063110/http://www.deadline.com/2013/05/2013-golden-trailer-awards-winners-iron-man-3/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| rowspan="3" | May 5, 2013
| Best Animation/Family
| "Witches"
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | Best Animation/Family TV Spot
| "Super Hybrid"
| {{nom}}
|-
| "Music Box"
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[2014 Kids' Choice Awards|Kids' Choice Awards]]<ref>{{cite news|last=Ng|first=Philiana|title=Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards Nominations Revealed|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kids-choice-awards-2014-nominees-681858|access-date=25 February 2014|newspaper=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=February 24, 2014}}</ref>
| rowspan="2" | March 29, 2014
| Favorite Movie
|
| {{nom}}
|-
| Favorite Movie Actress
| [[Mila Kunis]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[2014 MTV Movie Awards|MTV Movie Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/mtv-movie-awards-winners-list-1201156695/|title=MTV Movie Awards: Winners List|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=April 13, 2014|access-date=April 13, 2014}}</ref>
| April 13, 2014
| [[MTV Movie Award for Best Villain|Best Villain]]
| Mila Kunis
| {{won}}
|-
| [[40th People's Choice Awards|People's Choice Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |last= |date=January 8, 2014 |title=People's Choice Awards 2014 Nominees |url=http://www.peopleschoice.com/pca/awards/nominees/index.jsp?year=2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105205414/http://www.peopleschoice.com/pca/awards/nominees/index.jsp?year=2014 |archive-date=November 5, 2013 |access-date=17 January 2014 |website=People's Choice Awards}}</ref>
| January 8, 2014
| Best Family Film
|
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| Phoenix Film Critics Society
| rowspan="2"| December 17, 2013
| Best Live Action Family Film
|
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Production Design
| [[Robert Stromberg]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[Satellite Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Kilday |first=Gregg |date=December 2, 2013 |title=''12&nbsp;Years a Slave'' leads film nominees |department=Satellite Awards |newspaper=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/satellite-award-nominations-12-years-660848 |access-date=December 2, 2013 }}</ref>
| rowspan="3"| February 24, 2014
| [[Satellite Award for Best Visual Effects|Best Visual Effects]]
| James Schwalm, [[Scott Stokdyk]], Troy Saliba
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Art Direction and Production Design|Best Art Direction and Production Design]]
| [[Nancy Haigh]], Robert Stromberg
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]]
| Gary Jones
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="4"| [[40th Saturn Awards|Saturn Awards]]
| rowspan="4"| June 2014
| [[Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film|Best Fantasy Film]]
|
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Music|Best Music]]
| [[Danny Elfman]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Production Design
| Robert Stromberg
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Costume|Best Costume]]
| Gary Jones
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="4"| [[2013 Teen Choice Awards|Teen Choice Awards]]
| rowspan="4"| August 11, 2013
| [[Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie - Sci-Fi/Fantasy|Choice Movie – Sci-Fi/Fantasy]]
| 
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor - Sci-Fi/Fantasy|Choice Movie Actor – Sci-Fi/Fantasy]]
| [[James Franco]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=2|Choice Movie Actress – Sci-Fi/Fantasy
| Mila Kunis
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Michelle Williams (actress)|Michelle Williams]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Visual Effects Society]]
| February 12, 2014
| Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
| Troy Saliba, In-Ah Roediger, Carolyn Vale, Kevin Souls for "China Girl"
| {{nom}}
|}

==Possible sequel==
On March 7, 2013, ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' confirmed that Disney had already approved plans for a [[sequel]], with Mitchell Kapner returning as screenwriter.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graser|first=Marc|title=Disney Planning 'Oz the Great and Powerful' Sequel (EXCLUSIVE)|url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/disney-no-place-like-another-oz-sequel-exclusive-1200005299/|access-date=March 8, 2013|newspaper=Variety|date=March 7, 2013}}</ref> [[Mila Kunis]] said during an interview with [[E! News]], "We're all signed on for sequels".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Malkin |first1=Marc |title=Oz the Great and Powerful: "We're All Signed On for Sequels," Says Star Mila Kunis |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/394523/oz-the-great-and-powerful-we-re-all-signed-on-for-sequels-says-star-mila-kunis |access-date=9 March 2023 |work=E! Online |date=March 7, 2013}}</ref> On March 8, 2013, [[Sam Raimi]] told ''[[Bleeding Cool]]'' that he had no plans to direct the sequel, saying, "I did leave some loose ends for another director if they want to make the picture", and that "I was attracted to this story, but I don't think the second one would have the thing I would need to get me interested".<ref>{{cite news |last=Davis |first=Edward |date=March 9, 2013 |title=Sam Raimi Won't Direct 'Oz The Great & Powerful' Sequel; Finally Saw The 'Spider-Man' Remake |newspaper=[[IndieWire]] |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2013/03/sam-raimi-wont-direct-oz-the-great-finally-saw-the-spider-man-remake-100936/ |access-date=March 9, 2023}}</ref> On March 11, 2013, Joe Roth told the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' that the sequel would "absolutely not" involve Dorothy, with Kapner pointing out that there are twenty years between the events of the first film and Dorothy's arrival, and "a lot can happen in that time".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Daniel |last2=Zeitchik |first2=Steven |date=March 11, 2013 |title=An ''Oz'' 'clash of the titans' |page=2 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2013-mar-11-la-et-mn-disney-oz-20130311-story.html |access-date=May 31, 2013}}</ref> Since then, Disney has not begun development on a sequel.

==See also==
* [[Adaptations of The Wizard of Oz|Adaptations of ''The Wizard of Oz'']]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}

* {{Official website|http://movies.disney.com/oz-the-great-and-powerful}}
* {{IMDb title|1623205|Oz the Great and Powerful}}
* {{Mojo title|ozthegreatandpowerful|Oz the Great and Powerful}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|oz_the_great_and_powerful|Oz the Great and Powerful}}

{{Oz}}
{{Sam Raimi}}
{{David Lindsay-Abaire}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oz The Great And Powerful}}
[[Category:2013 films]]
[[Category:2013 3D films]]
[[Category:2010s fantasy adventure films]]
[[Category:American 3D films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:American children's fantasy films]]
[[Category:American fantasy adventure films]]
[[Category:American IMAX films]]
[[Category:Circus films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Danny Elfman]]
[[Category:Films about con artists]]
[[Category:Films about magic (illusion)]]
[[Category:Films about orphans]]
[[Category:Films about witchcraft]]
[[Category:Films based on American novels]]
[[Category:Films based on fantasy novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Sam Raimi]]
[[Category:Films produced by Joe Roth]]
[[Category:Films set in 1905]]
[[Category:Films set in Kansas]]
[[Category:Films set on balloons]]
[[Category:Films shot in Michigan]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by David Lindsay-Abaire]]
[[Category:High fantasy films]]
[[Category:Films partially in color]]
[[Category:Films based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]
[[Category:Films using motion capture]]
[[Category:Walt Disney Pictures films]]
[[Category:2013 English-language films]]
[[Category:2013 American films]]
[[Category:American prequel films]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Oz the Great and Powerful|access_date=2026-03-05}}