Everything is coming together rather nicely for director Sam Raimi‘s Wizard of Oz prequel Oz, The Great and Powerful thus far.

After a rocky start trying to lock in a lead, things have settled down and quite the impressive cast has been put together. The prequel stars James Franco as a snake oil salesman who’s whisked off to the lands of Oz in his hot air balloon, where he’ll find himself in the middle of a power struggle before becoming the eventual “Wizard of Oz.” But before Franco was confirmed, Robert Downey Jr. was set to play the part and Johnny Depp was mentioned as a possibility when Downey left.

Said power struggle is ongoing between three sisters, the witches of Oz. Two of the sisters are wicked, and will be played Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz. And then, of course, there’s the good witch, Glinda, who has now been cast as well. That role has been filled with two-time Oscar nominee Michelle Williams, who will team up with Franco’s character to fight her evil sisters and ensure they don’t take control over all the land.

Production on the movie is expected to start in July with a release currently planned for sometime in late 2012.

[Source: Showblitz]