Oz The Great and Powerful
Director: Sam Raimi
Screenwriters: David Lindsay-Abaire, Mitchell Kapner
Cast: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff
Walt Disney Pictures
Rated PG | 127 Minutes
Release Date: March 8, 2013

Based on L. Frank Baum‘s Oz novels, Oz the Great and Powerful is a prequel to Baum’s 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and an homage to the classic 1939 MGM film, The Wizard of Oz.

Set 20 years before Dorothy clicked her heels, Oscar Diggs (James Franco) arrives in the magical Land of Oz where he encounters three witches: Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz), and Glinda (Michelle Williams).

Theodora is convinced that the small-time magician and scam artist is a great and powerful wizard of prophecy, destined to overthrow the Wicked Witch who killed the king of Oz. Oscar must follow the yellow brick road to Emerald City where he will reclaim Oz from the Witch and free its people of her vile and cruel ways.

Along the way Oscar encounters Finley (Zach Braff), a flying monkey in a bellhop uniform, and China Girl (Joey King), a living china doll whose home and family were destroyed by the Wicked Witch.

If you’ve not yet found your way out to the theater to check out Sam Raimi‘s Wizard of Oz prequel, Oz the Great and Powerful, Walt Disney has released the black and white opening credits sequence online for your viewing pleasure.

The movie stars James Franco as the man who would become the famed wizard of Oz before he was a famed wizard in Oz, as well as Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, and Rachel Weisz.

You can check out the opening credits sequence below now!

Oz The Great and Powerful
IMAX 3D
Directed by Sam Raimi
Based on the novel, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L Frank Baum
Starring: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff, Tony Cox, Bruce Campbell, Joey King
Walt Disney Pictures
Rated PG | 130 Minutes
Release Date: March 8, 2013

It’s time to once again go back to the land of Oz in Oz The Great and Powerful, but this time there is no Dorothy, and we are going to see how it all got started, how the great Oz came to be. But there is a little concern, after the horrible Spider-man 3 movie, can director Sam Raimi gain our trust once again?

You all know the story of Wizard of Oz, and if you don’t, I feel sorry for you. Anyways, like I said, this is a prequel all about the wizard, known here as Oscar “Oz” Diggs and played by James Franco (Spider-man 1-3). Oscar’s not so great and powerful at first; he’s a con artist/magician who just wants to be special or, dare I say, great and powerful. With his faithful (for some reason) assistant Frank, played by Zach Braff (Scrubs), he goes town to town trying to amaze and get rich off the people visiting the circus. And when things seem to be at the lowest, along comes a storm, and Oscar gets caught in a tornado as he is escaping the circus via a hot air balloon. He ends up in the land of Oz, where he is greeted by the lovely Theodora, played by Mila Kunis (That 70’s Show), and she explains the prophecy which involves a great man who is come to save their world. But Oscar seems more interested in her, as he sees himself quite the ladies man, granted it never turns out well, and the same could be said for this situation.

With a very impressive $80 million debut this weekend, it’s no surprise that Oz The Great and Powerful is getting a sequel. Mitchell Kapner has been tapped to write the next chapter of Disney’s Oz franchise (WB has their own Oz property), but the film’s director, Sam Raimi, may not return. Despite that possible set back, a majority of the cast are signed on for sequels. But one thing we might not see, besides Raimi’s direction, is a pivotal character to the 1939 original film.

Mila Kunis told E! Online, “We’re all signed on for sequels.” Co-star Rachel Weisz did say something different: she wasn’t sure whether or not there would be a sequel, but she shared Kunis’ enthusiasm. Although there are varying answers to a seemingly simple question, the cast is interested in returning to reprise their respective roles for the upcoming sequel.

Yesterday we reported that Disney was moving forward with a sequel to Oz The Great and Powerful, by hiring Mitchell Kapner to pen the script. Experts are predicting that the film, which was released on March 8, 2013, will gross around the $80-$90 million range in its opening weekend. With numbers like that, it’s not a surprise that the studio would green light a sequel for the highly anticipated film.

Unfortunately it seems like one of the pieces won’t be returning to the land of Oz. Bleeding Cool has found out that director Sam Raimi will not be likely to return to direct Oz The Great and Powerful 2. Check out his spoilerish reasons for not returning here below.