The L.A. Times is reporting Robert Downey Jr. is in talks to star in a prequel to THE WIZARD OF OZ, rumored to be entitled THE GREAT POWERFUL.
Downey would star as The Wizard himself, and is to focus on his life prior to being whisked away to Oz in his balloon. The script is based on parts of L. Frank Baum's Oz books, and Sam Mendez is reportedly in talks to direct.
It's easy to cry blasphemy over Hollywood looking to expand (or cash in) on the popularity of Oz, especially when a lot of moviegoers groan over the word "prequel" these days. The bigger question is whether or not we're headed towards Downey overkill. Sure the guy is a hot item right now, but does he need to be cast in EVERYTHING? Based on his work in TROPIC THUNDER, he's probably just one step away from donning the dark skin again to play Obama in the eventual biopic. If anyone can pull off the required eccentric behavior of the Wiz, it is him. With no release date set yet, let's hope the world isn't tired of him come opening night.
Why do ex-heroin addicts get all the good roles??? I would love to see RDJ as Obama!
ReplyDelete