It’s Thursday, so it’s time to remake an 80s classic TV show or movie with an all-new cast. This week I’m stretching the theme a bit to include the classic 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, which exerted a profound effect on the mindset of Generation X via its constant airings on TV in the 1970s and 80s, particularly as a Thanksgiving tradition. (In my review of the film, I mention it as a holiday perennial.)
(If you have a suggestion for an 80s TV show or movie we should play with, feel free to email me.)
The original cast included:
Dorothy Gale: Judy Garland
The Wizard of Oz: Frank Morgan
The Scarecrow: Ray Bolger
The Cowardly Lion: Bert Lahr
The Tin Man: Jack Haley
Glinda: Billie Burke
The Wicked Witch: Margaret Hamilton
My dream cast for a modern update:
Daniel Gale: Michael Cera
The Wizard of Oz: Mos Def
The Scarecrow: Jude Law
The Cowardly Lion: Will Farrell
The Tin Man: Keanu Reeves
Glinda: Kate Winslet
The Wicked Wizard: Alan Rickman
I’m gender-switching Dorothy because I love Michael Cera, and because he has the kind of sweetness that feels more like Dorothy’s than almost any female actor of his age I can think of off the top of my head. (Plus, after Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, I could see him wandering Oz with a guitar slung over his back, ready to strum out a mournful, homesick tune as needed.) And something tells me Alan Rickman would be simply awesome as a bad wizard.
Other modern updating: instead of a storm, Daniel could get knocked out during a terrorist attack, or could fall asleep at his computer à la Neo, or maybe he’s just dreaming while wearing his iPod on the school bus…
Who would you cast?
Follow the yellow brick road:
The Scarecrow: Cillian Murphy.
:)
I want the all-“Pushing Daisies” edition.
Anna Friel – Dorothy
Kristin Chenoweth – Scarecrow
Lee Pace – Tin Man
Chi McBride – Cowardly Lion
Jim Dale – Wizard
Ellen Greene – Glenda the Good Witch
Swoosie Kurtz – The Wicked Witch
Dorothy Gale: Natalie Portman
The Wizard of Oz: Paul Giamatti
The Scarecrow: Zach Braff
The Cowardly Lion: Jack Black
The Tin Man: Liam Neeson
Glinda: Kate Winslet
The Wicked Witch: Allison Janney
Here I was ready to chime in with my own cast until I read MaryAnn’s inspired gender-switching cast AND David’s fantastic Pushing Daisies cast.
I will not even attempt to add my own now.
i’d switch two actresses in the pushing daisies cast since kristin chenoweth is glinda.
excuse me – galinda.
Dorothy Gale- Christina Ricci
The Wizard of Oz- Gene Wilder
The Scarecrow- Ellen DeGeneres
The Cowardly Lion- Tina Fey
The Tin Man- Johnny Depp
Glinda- Queen Latifah
Wicked Witch of the West- Angelina Jolie
dorothy gale-amy adams
wizard of oz-michael caine
scarecrow- edward norton
cowardly lion-philip seymour hoffman
the tin man- josh brolin
glinda- julianne moore
wicked witch of the west- michelle pfieffer
Michelle Pfieffer would be a good wicked witch.
Michelle Pfeifer would be a good anything.
Very true
Michelle Pfieffer was a good wicked witch in Stardust.
the idea of the gender switch dorothy with michael cena is genius
otherwise keeping dorothy female, amy adams is spot on
I adore Amy Adams but she’s far too old to play Dorothy.
Dream Cast:
Dorothy Gale: Keisha Castle-Hughes
The Wizard of Oz: Woody Allen
The Scarecrow: Jim Carrey
The Cowardly Lion: Eddie Izzard
The Tin Woman: Michiko Nishiwaki
Glinda: Audrey Tautou
The Wicked Witch: Parker Posey
Nightmare Cast:
Dorothy Gale: Miley Cyrus
The Wizard of Oz: Samuel Jackson
The Scarecrow: Ben Affleck
The Cowardly Lion: Robin Williams
The Tin Man: Kelsey Grammer
Glinda: Sarah Jessica Parker
The Wicked Witch: Meryl Streep
Woody Allen would be really funny as the wizard!!!
Dorothy- Miley Cyrus
The Wizard of OZ- Tommy Lee Jones
The Scarecrow- Jonny Deep
The Cowardly Lion- Jack Black
The Tin Man- Lee Evans
They are maybe making a remake and the girls on the list for dorothy are natalie portman who is too something (i forget), zooey deuchsel( if thats how you spell her name) but shes not that famous, and Elle Page is at the top of the list who i personally love for the role.
Director: Tim Burton
A dark retelling of The Wizard of Oz, like what he is doing with Alice in Wonderland.
Dorothy – Zooey Deschanel
Scarecrow – Johnny Depp
Tin Man – Adrien Brody
Lion – Benecio Del Toro
Wizard – Liam Neeson
Wicked Witch – Helena Bohnam Carter
Glinda – Morena Baccarin
Some interesting nominations, but why is everybody putting up adults for Dorothy? Even Miley Cyrus is what, 16 now? Dorothy’s supposed to be a child.
Zooey Deschanel has already been a Dorothy figure in the SciFi TV movie, “Tin Man”, which debuted in March 2008. Not a remake, but follows the general outline. It’s great.
IMDB has a 2011 date for a John Boorman CGI animated remake but no details yet.
I’d want the Wizard of Oz to be animated–on the lines of such Disney animated movies as the original 101 Dalmations, the original animated Alice in Wonderland, the original Fantasia or Pinocchio. I’m not sure who would play who, but perhaps Frank Welker could play the cowardly lion and a scarecrow. Perhaps Ross Bagdasarian Jr. (who works with Alvin & the Chipmunks nowadays) could do the voices of the munchkins. Thoughts?
Dorthy-Kristen Stewart
The Wizard of Oz-Morgan Freeman
Scarecrow-Jim Carrey
Lion-Robin Williams
Tinman-Johnny Depp
Wicked Witch-Halle Berry
Glinda-Kate Winslet