Q : What’s it like having the weight of the Oz movie on your shoulders?
Sam: When I heard it was a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz”, I said, “I don’t wanna mess with that classic.”, so I didn’t read the script and then a couple of weeks later I was looking for a writer and somebody said, “Read this. It’s a writing sample.”… As I read it, I thought “I’m falling in love with this story and this world and these characters.” so I thought “That’s why I gotta make this movie ‘cause I feel uplifted by the end of this thing.”
I love watching the main character go from being this selfish guy who later finds a little bit of goodness in his heart and learned how to become this selfless individual. I thought, “If that’s really what I make the movie about, I won’t be treading on the good name of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ at all ‘cause it’s another positive story.”
Q : How did you make your judgment call on what was going to be too scary and how to reign back the scary so that it still was a child’s or a family film?
Sam: That’s something I was weighing all throughout the process. In the writing of the script, I made sure there was no violence…‘cause I really wanted to make it a family picture…I tried to find a line where it’s scary for the kids, but not so scary that the parents think, “I shouldn’t have brought my child to see this.”
Q : As far as the role that James Franco played (as Oz), did you always want him for the film?
Sam: No. I had a long relationship with James and I really liked him very much but I was thinking Johnny Depp would play the part or maybe one or two other actors…and then I heard that James was interested. So I thought, “I never considered James. But he has the qualities”. That’s really what it was and that’s what casting’s about for me. Finding the essence of the character in a person.
He went on to say that he has seen James Franco grow as a person through the years, just as Oz grows in the movie. “James had all the qualities and I’d seen a little bit of human growth within him in real life. So I thought he could portray this type of growth.”
Q : Which character would you say it your absolute favorite out of all of them?
SR : Well I admire Evanora because she’s so nasty and she doesn’t try and hide it…. like my mother. I admire that about that character.
Q : On the record or off the record? [LAUGHTER]
*Referring to his comment about his mom
Sam: No, it’s alright. My mother knows who she is. [LAUGHTER]
He goes on to say…
But I think I love James Franco’s character. There’s so much I can identify with personally. Unfortunately with the character that’s more in Kansas than the guy he becomes. But I understand wanting to become a better person. I mean it’s a dream. Whether I’d ever have the courage of that character to do what he did I don’t know but I can relate to the character. I understand his failings, his simple desires and his low qualities.
I also love the China Girl. She’s, for me, my sweetheart.
Q : Can you tell us about the selection process for the other characters and the actors that you chose for the film?
Sam: During the selection process I would meet different actors and they would come in and we would talk about the role and I would try to get a sense of who they were. It’s very difficult ‘cause they’re trying to impress you and trying to look pretty or handsome and be charming. Meanwhile, I’m thinking, “Yeah, but I’m trying to see if you’ve got real goodness inside you. Can you play Glinda? Do you have a sincerity of your soul?”
It’s hard in an interview situation because they’re pretending to be something and I don’t want that. I really want to know who they are. So as quickly as I can get past the niceties and really start talking to them, the better for me to really understand who they are…We would discuss the work and if we found that we were talking about the same thing and we’re really connecting then usually we would bring them aboard for the project.
Q : What thoughts did you have for the set…Did you go into this saying I want this set to be so real for the actors to experience and become that?
Sam: Once the look was decided by myself and the production designer of the entire production, it came down to what was going to be built and what would be just CGI. It was important for me to have real places for the actors to touch and see…because it’s such a fantastical adventure. I really needed to ground it more than a regular drama with real human performances. We had to explain the emotions that we understand and can connect to.
We also had sets because I wanted a very unique look in Chinatown, a unique look in Emerald City. I wanted the Land of Oz to be this uniquely fantastical place and the dark forest to be a particular type of scary because there are so many worlds within this fantastic world.
Q : How different was it working on this movie as opposed to other movies that you’ve done before?
Sam: Well the size of it was enormous and that took some getting used to. Because the Land of Oz is how Frank Baum wrote it, it has such impassable deserts, fantastical waterfalls, outrageous mountains and woods…Everything had to be created in the computer.
Throughout the interviews, you can hear the respect his cast had for him.
Here’s what Michelle Williams had to say:
He’s such a cool guy…It’s like a really tough job to make a movie that’s this big. Can you imagine all those personalities (150 people) all their jobs, all their questions, and Sam is the funnel for all of it. He maintained this exuberant and this buoyancy, and this belief in the possibility, and he was interested in what everybody had to say.
“Oz The Great & Powerful” will be in theaters on 3/8.
Movie Synopsis:
When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great wizard but into a better man as well.
Make sure your following Disney Oz Movie on Twitter and “Like” the Oz the Great & Powerful Fan Page. You can also check out their website.
Disclosure: This post was facilitated as a result of a press trip. As always, ALL opinions are my own.
I like Sam Raimi after reading your interview, and I think he is handsome. What an enormous task he had of making this movie. He picked great characters for this movie. I think James Franco is a good pick. And I like that he takes a selfish character and turns him into a nice guy. I am also glad that he cares about his audience by not making the movie too scary. I looked at the Trailers and see that Sam Raimi did such a good job in creating a masterpiece!