Director Sam Raimi and the cast of Oz The Great and Powerful gathered in London last week to promote the film. I went along to see what they had to say (and to eat a few biscuits)…
James Franco spoke about his connection to the world of Oz. He explained; “I’ve been a fan of the world of Oz since I was a boy, I read all the L. Frank Baum books when I kid, and so I was excited because of that. That I would be able to step in that world of my childhood imagination. Speaking about Sam Raimi’s vision, he said; “I saw that they were going to be loyal and respectful of everything we lovers of Oz expect. There will be familiar things in the land of Oz that you need for it to be the land of Oz.”
Sam Raimi admitted he was very frightened to approach the project. He remarked; “There is so much love for the original Wizard of Oz picture and people don’t want their warm feelings towards this classic sullied. They don’t want someone stepping on the fondest memories of their childhood”. However when Sam read the script for Oz The Great and Powerful he admitted that “he fell in love with the story”.
Zach Braff joked about wearing a blue onesie for his role as Finley. He said; “You think that when you make a movie for six months, when you walk on set in a blue onesie your cast members would eventually stop laughing at you. But they didn’t”. Mila Kunis commented on the importance of the costumes for this film. She explained; “It was the first time in my life that a costume 100% helped me realise the character”. Rachel Wiesz echoed the sentiment, stating; “My character would have been nothing without the sequins, the feathers, the lashes, the corsets, the boots, the nails!”.
Oz The Great and Powerful is released in cinemas on Friday 8th March 2013.
I Heart The Talkies 