We know a swarm of new Wizard of Oz-related films are currently in the works. There’s the one that Sam Raimi is said to be directing called Oz: The Great and Powerful, a couple of other scripts being looked at by various studios including an adaption of the Broadway hit Wicked over at Universal, and this computer animated sequel called Dorothy of Oz.

A really well-done new live-action adventure in Oz could be really exciting, though not easy to pull off as you saw with the recent Alice in Wonderland attempt. An animated film such as this won’t be quite as buzz-worthy as it moves forward, but might very well be worth a peek when it gets here. And to help you get a feel for where they’re heading with the movie, a bunch of character sketches next to the actors voicing them have been released, as well as some concept art of their computer animated Oz.

You can click your heels all you like, but only clicking over with lead you to the images and a synopsis of Dorothy of Oz!

As you can tell, the cast is pretty impressive…though some of the characters make it sound like this is really being aimed only at kids and not the broader family audience. The cast includes Glee‘s Lea Michele as Dorothy, Dan Aykroyd as Scarecrow, Kelsey Grammer as Tin Man, Jim Belushi as the Cowardly Lion, Patrick Stewart as a tugboat/tree, Oliver Platt as an Owl, and Martin Short as a Jester who’s apparently the new villain. Also starring is Megan Hilty as China Princess and Hugh Dancy as a gentleman named Marshall Mallow…who’s made out of marshmallow.

SYNOPSIS

In the story, Dorothy returns to Kansas to find it devastated by the tornado that had whisked her away to the magical Land of Oz. The home she had been so desperate to return to is no longer; the townspeople, with nowhere to turn, are packing up and moving out. However, before Dorothy can even begin to react to or resist this change, she is transported back to Oz by equally magical methods as her first trip. Oz is in trouble, and the people there need her help: Dorothy’s old friends – the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion – have disappeared and the land is in a state of decay. As Dorothy journeys to find her friends, she encounters a number of new companions and problems, including a man made of marshmallows who can’t think for himself, a china doll princess whose bossiness is a cover for her fragility, and a tugboat with as many personalities as he has pieces. Dorothy must help this odd group band together against a wicked new villain – a Jester who thinks all of Oz should be under his own control.

How will Dorothy and her new companions work together in a seemingly disastrous time to restore Oz to the place we all know and love? You’ve waited over 70 years to find out what happens the very next day… so check back often as more of the new “Dorothy of Oz” adventure is revealed.

Images

[Source: Dorothy of Oz via io9, Daemon’s Movies]