The lovely Rachel Weisz is in talks with Disney to play the evil witch in Sam Raimi’s Oz the Great and Powerful opposite ubiquitous actor James Franco and alongside Mila Kunis.
The fantasy story, which re-teams Spider-Man talents Raimi and Franco, is essentially a prequel to the 1939 classic Wizard of Oz and centers on the titular character (Franco) as a fast-talking huckster who flees a traveling circus in a hot air balloon, only to wind up in the magical land of Oz.
Kunis will play Theodora (who eventually becomes the Wicked Witch of the West) begins as a good witch, but is torn by her burgeoning affections for Oz and the corrupting influences of her powerful sister Evanora (of the East), to be played by Weisz. When war breaks out between the evil witches and the various creatures of Oz, the common magician (mistaken as a wizard) joins the forces of good with Glinda (of the North) for an epic battle — reminiscent of the stand-off in Burton’s recent Alice in Wonderland.
Recent reports suggested some wrangling behind the scenes as to who should play Evanora. Raimi reportedly wanted Hilary Swank and the studio was pushing for Michelle Williams. Perhaps Weisz is the compromise? Either way, it’s a fine choice and the talented Weisz seems a far better fit for the role. Just look at those eyebrows.
This is the biggest studio film since Weisz starred in The Mummy series with Brenden Frasier. Since then, she has been carving out a fantastic indie niche in films like The Brothers Bloom, her ex-fiancée Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain, and the little-seen but surprisingly solid Agora.
The production is gearing up for a July start and probably a release sometime in 2012.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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