It’s a big year for fans of the L. Frank Baum book series about the Wizard of Oz. Not only is it the 85th anniversary of the 1939 film but the stage show Wicked has been worked into a film set to release in mid November.
Set in the land of the Oz, the story follows the young girl from Kansas, as she gets caught up in a tornado and sent to a magical land where she has to find a way to get home. The original book was released back in 1900 and was later turned into a feature film in 1939. The 1939 film stars Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale and Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow. Then, in 2003, the Broadway show “Wicked” premiered based on the 1995 novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Wicked of West.” Now, in 2024 the show is being worked into a feature film.
The Wizard of Oz has a pretty influential role in pop culture with multiple movies, Halloween costumes, collectables and references; it’s easy to see why the 1939 movie’s 85th anniversary is a hot topic this year. The movie itself still holds up very well considering how old it is.
One thing that stands out about the movie is the fact the scenes that take place in Kansas at the beginning and ending of the movie were filmed in black and white, while the scenes in Oz were filmed using Technicolor. The cast for this film was stacked for the time featuring Judy Garland, Jack Haley, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan and Margaret Hamiliton.
What keeps this film in particular in the limelight is the memorabilia that’s always being produced. Dolls, plates, figures; these items are what have kept people watching the movie. It truly deserves the hype around the anniversary and it helps that a new movie in the franchise is coming out.
The very popular Broadway show, “Wicked,” is being adapted into a full length feature film. The way they’ve decided to go about releasing this movie is in two different parts. The first part which is releasing this year will be part one covering the first act of the show. The second movie will follow the second act; that film’s release date is still unknown. The cast for this movie also has had a lot of talk around it with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the leading roles.
The show itself follows the backstory of Elphaba, also known as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.
Just like the original movie there has been a lot of merchandise produced. From cake mix to the usual collector doll the amount of merchandise made for film is everywhere. Most of the merchandise is in the form of mystery colors with the gimmick being you reveal whether you get pink or green, representing Glinda and Elphaba. The film is slated to be one of the biggest films of the year.
Both of these movies deserve all of the hype and remembrance behind them. It is truly amazing that a movie filmed 85 years ago is still getting recognised and celebrated to this day. It is also great that more people will get to hear the songs and get exposed to the “Wicked” story which furthers the 1939 movies legacy.
This year is really a great year to be a fan of the “Wizard of Oz.”