Quick Links
As moviegoers all across the world celebrate the highly-buzzed about premiere of the dazzling musicalWicked,many are still riding high on the excitement surrounding the star-studded adaptation. For those who want to keep the fun and magic going, there is no shortage of previous Hollywood adaptations to binge-watch and enjoy in either preparation or as a follow-up to the show-stopping picture.
In 1985, one of cinema’s more misunderstood reimaginings of the classic L. Frank Baum novels hit the big screen, with Fairuza Balk tackling the iconic role of Dorothy Gale inReturn to Oz. The dark fantasy focuses on the young insomniac Dorothy as she once again returns to the Land of Oz to try and save both her beloved friends and the people of Emerald City after the evil Nome King and Princess Mombi destroy the wondrous world.Return to Ozwas not well-received upon its initial debut, but in the decades since its premiere, it has attracted a newfound appreciation and developed a cult following; let’s check out why it’s worth another chance.
Return to Oz
‘Return to Oz’ Is a Bizarrely Delightful Dark Fantasy
Serving as the unofficial sequel to the transcending1939 cinema masterpiece, the 1985 dark fantasyReturn to Ozis a wonderfully bizarre and engrossing continuation of the beloved storythat follows Dorothy (Fairuza Balk) as she is once again whisked away to the magical Land of Oz. After being admitted to a sanatorium due to her ongoing fascination with the wondrous world by her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, Dorothy finds herself transported to Emerald City, which now lies in ruin.
Every Wizard of Oz Film Adaptation, Ranked
When it comes to the movies, Dorothy’s made quite a few trips to Oz, and that’s not just counting the sequels.
Dorothy discovers that the nefarious Nome King and his scheming accomplice Princess Mombi have conquered Oz and turned its citizens, including her beloved friends Cowardly Lion and Tin Man, into stone. When Dorothy learns that Scarecrow is being held prisoner by the wicked ruler, she joins forces with her allies Tik-Tok, Billina, Gump, and Jack the Pumpkinhead to try and restore order to the enchanting land and bring peace back to its people. While carrying out her epic journey, Dorothy must rely on her innate instincts and compassion as she faces formidable foes and devious adversaries if she hopes to be victorious.
‘Return to Oz’ Becomes an ‘80 Cult Classic
As with the star-studded 1978 musicalThe Wiz, Return to Ozproved to be both a critical and commercial disappointment upon its initial release, grossing just $11.1 million against a $28 million budget and attracting a mixed response from audiences.Many felt that the content and overall tone of the fantasy film was far too dark and edgy for young viewersand that it ultimately failed to capture the wonder and magic of its enchanting predecessor.The Chicago Readerdescribed the unofficial sequel as “bleak, creepy, and occasionally terrifying,” while others declared it “a horror show flying under the banner of family entertainment.”
The Most Faithful Wizard of Oz Adaptation Came Out in the ‘80s (And Flopped)
Return to Oz is infamous for terrifying children. But for the franchise’s original author, that was par for the course.
However, despite its originally lukewarm reception from moviegoers, in the nearly 40 years since the premiere ofReturn to Oz,the picture has received newfound appreciation for its faithfulness to the L. Frank Braum fantasy novels and has been praised for capturing the whimsical essence of the original subject source.Audiences who are able to separateReturn to OzfromThe Wizard of Ozand consider the fantasy its own creation will likely enjoy the strange and delightfully peculiar film, withEmpire Magazineretrospectively pointing out:
“Best to see them as individual films with nothing in common apart from source material, one a classic, the other a strong enough picaresque amongst some decent fabulation.”
The polarizing picture marked Balk’s first silver-screen role, and she beat out over 1,000 children to portray Dorothy, with the talented actress and iconic “goth girl” going on to appear in popularmovies likeThe Craft,American History X, The Waterboy, andAlmost Famous.When asked to compareReturn to Ozto its iconic predecessor, the then11-year-old Balk said, “It’s a different story and a different picture, and I didn’t attempt to copy anything Judy Garland did. It’s not that much scarier, but it isn’t as bright.”
Hollywood Can’t Get Enough of the Timeless Tale
Though it may not be for everybody,Return to Oznonetheless did a commendable job when trying to honor both the 1939 classic and celebrated novels, as it features quirky characters, vibrant visuals, and a compelling storyline that remains captivating nearly four decades later. Hollywood just can’t get enough of adapting the timeless tale, with the Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-led musicalWickedbeing the most recent cinematic retelling poised totake audiences by stormwith its unforgettable musical numbers and dazzling performances.
Similarly, in 2013, fans flocked to theaters to see Sam Raimi’s thrilling fantasy adventure hitOz the Great and Powerful,which served as a spiritual prequel to the Judy Garland original and featured the extraordinary talents of James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, and Rachel Weisz; the reimagining dominated the box office and grossed more than $493 million worldwide. There have been other iterations throughout the years, like the sci-fi miniseriesTin Manand the aforementionedThe Wiz,but no adaptation can touch the neverending allure and universal adorationThe Wizard of Ozpossesses over 80 years later.StreamReturn to OzonDisney+.Wickedis in theaters now.
