Dorothy Won't Be In Disney's OZ Sequel, Could WB's Competing Oz Films Be A Reason?

Producer Joe Roth states to LATimes that the Oz sequel "would absolutely not" have Dorothy involved. It might be to keep the Wizard going as there is a 20 year gap between the Wizard's arrival and Dorothy's according to writer Mitchell Kapner (recently hired to write the next film). Keeping what seemed to work which was James Franco as the main character along with setting up more mythology. I still think that Mombi and The Gnome King could have their origins explored in future films.

However, something else could be a reason Dorothy won't be in the film. Warner Bros. owns the original Wizard of Oz including many of the creative choices of the film like the look of Dorothy and many other things (Emerald City, ruby slippers, flying monkeys, wicked witch). Before Oz came out WB had at least three film projects in development. Oz: The Return To Emerald City had a solid concept as it would focus on Dorothy's granddaughter returning to Oz to fight a new evil. That project had a script written by Josh Olson (History of Violence). If Warner Bros. moved forward they would need to separate themselves from the Disney films. Perhaps, brining back Dorothy as the lead for their competing film if the studio decides to make one. It's possible that Disney could end up taking cues and having Dorothy's absent mother incorporated into their franchise instead of having to rely on her.

Sharlto Copley Could Join 'MALEFICENT'

Deadline reports that South African actor Sharlto Copley (District 9) is in talks to take the role of King Stefan in Disney's Maleficent. Apparently, Jude Law had also been in the running for the role. Rumors also put Patrick Stewart, Judi Dench and Emma Thompson in the mix as well. Angelina Jolie stars in the title role while Elle Fanning is expected to take the role of Princess Aurora.

Elle Fanning In Talks For Princess Aurora In Disney's Maleficent

Twitch reports that the rising star Elle Fanning is now in talks to take the Sleeping Beauty role as Princess Aurora in Disney's Maleficent. The film produced by Joe Roth (Alice In Wonderland, Oz The Great And Powerful) has Angelina Jolie attached to play the villainous sorceress. Along with former production designer Robert Stromberg set to direct. Fanning has been having an amazing run of projects recently with roles in films like Benjamin Button, Somewhere, Super 8 and We Bought A Zoo.

UPDATE: HeatVision adds that Disney is looking for a June production start in London.

Sony Developing A Dracula Franchise

Hollywood seems to have found their new Snow White as a third Dracula project is now in development. Deadline reports that Sony Pictures has bought a pitch from writer Jason Keller focusing on a new untitled Dracula film. Details are scarce on the project but it's expected to be yet another origin story mixing the mythology of Dracula and real life Vlad The Impaler stories. The studio is aiming to develop this as a period piece franchise. It seems to have a bit of weight behind it with producer Joe Roth attached to it.

Roth is best known for producing Alice In Wonderland along with upcoming films Snow White And The Huntsman, Oz, The Great And Powerful and the Sleeping Beauty film Maleficent starring Angelina Jolie. Keller's credits are a mixed bag with films including the terrible looking Snow White cheese-fest Mirror, Mirror. Yet, he's also responsible for Machine Gun Preacher, rewrites on The Tomb (Stallone/Schwarzenegger) and a Michael Mann racing project Go Like Hell. It's interesting to see Keller and Roth working together as the pair worked on competing Snow White films recently.

There are two other Dracula focused films in the works. The first one from Warner Bros., Harker is less similar to this movie as Jonathan Harker a Scotland Yard detective focusing the trail of murders by Dracula being mistaken as a serial murderer. Universal's Dracula Year Zero seems to be the direct competition here as they both feature on the Vlad The Impaler connection. It's unknown at this point if this will be a more fantasy cutesy inspired Dracula take similar to Alice or darker in tone like Huntsman. One thing is for sure that the idea that it's being looked as a franchise means it's going to be a PG-13.