When remaking something as iconic as “The Wizard of Oz,” you have to make sure you get it right, otherwise, people are going to riot. The 1939 film is one of the most acclaimed and revered films to ever get made and clearly, Warner Bros. doesn’t want to screw it up. So, with that in mind, it appears the studio is ready to change directors for the forthcoming remake of “The Wizard of Oz,” going in a completely new direction for the film.
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According to Deadline, Kenya Barris has been brought on to write and direct the remake of “The Wizard of Oz.” The filmmaker takes over for Nicole Kassell (“Watchmen”), who was hired in 2021 to helm the feature. It’s unclear why she left the project, but it seems as if Barris is going to start over with his own script for the film. Details aren’t known at this time, but it’s said that Barris is going to bring “The Wizard of Oz” into the modern day with his reimagining.
Barris is probably best known for his TV work, as the creator of “Black-ish” and the writer of a number of other projects. On the film side, his work includes “Girls Trip,” “Shaft,” and “Coming 2 America.” He’s finishing up work on his feature directorial debut, “You People,” which he co-wrote alongside Jonah Hill.
Obviously, it’s far too soon to know when the remake of “The Wizard of Oz” will arrive in theaters. However, it would appear that everything is moving forward yet again with Barris joining the fold. Now, we just have to wait and see if fans of the original are ready for another take on the classic.
