A classical novel during the start of the 20th century: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was a popular story for many people, especially to children. If you are a fan of fantasy books, this novel, commonly known as the Wizard of Oz, is a story you might probably already know. Its a story that has been an influence on pop culture including everything from unique clothes and handbag fashion to books, movies and TV.
Its story comprises of Dorothy, a young farm girl who lives in Kansas, along with her dog: Toto. She and Toto were then caught by a cyclone, which brought them to the magical Land of Oz. Upon reaching the magical land, Dorothy met different characters, which helped her along the way, while there are some who acts as a hindrance. A story of friendship and fantasy: Dorothy, along with her friends, must travel the land in search for the great and powerful Wizard of Oz, which can help her return home.
The Wizard of Oz quickly gained recognition in different places; it was one of the best-known stories in American literature and regarded as America’s greatest and best-loved homegrown fairytale. Because of the novel’s undeniable success, it had various translations and adaptations. One of the most significant adaptation of The Wizard of Oz was the iconic 1939 live-action film.
Moreover, there are many other film adaptations of The Wizard of Oz, including live-action, as well as animated. In this article, we are going to look into the list of films adapted from the great novel: The Wizard of Oz.
List of Films
As mentioned earlier, the popular novel gained even more recognition from its various film adaptations. Numerous adaptations from different directors, actors, and places were produced, which caught the interests of the masses. Interestingly, the Wizard of Oz films remained to be a significant part of the history of motion pictures, giving the audience an excellent movie based from the novel. The film adaptations were separated into two categories: live-action and animated.
Live Action
- The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays – it was the earliest attempt to reenact the Wizard of Oz in the big screen, which was aired in 1908.
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – a 15-minute film in 1910, which was based on the 1902 stage musical.
- The Patchwork Girl of Oz – a 1914 film adaptation produced by The Oz Film Manufacturing Company.
- His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz – an adaptation of the film in 1914, which became the basis of the book “The Scarecrow of Oz.”
- The Magic Cloak of Oz – along with another film during the 1914, this was also produced by The Oz Film Manufacturing Company.
- The Wizard of Oz – an adaptation of the novel, which was produced in 1925 and directed by Larry Semon.
- The Land of Oz – a fascinating sequel to The Wizard of Oz, which was produced in 1932.
- The Wizard of Oz – is a musical film by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, commonly known as MGM, in 1939. This film was directed by Victor Fleming and starred by various famed artists during that time. As mentioned earlier, this film was regarded as the best film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz.
- The Wonderful Land of Oz – is a low-budget adaptation of the film directed by Barry Mahon.
- Oz – is a unique adaptation of the novel, which showcases an Australian rock musical film.
- The Wiz – is probably one of the most iconic film adaptations of The Wizard of Oz. It was produced in 1978 and starred by Diana Ross as Dorothy, along with Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow.
- Return to Oz – is a Disney film produced in 1985, which was directed by Walter Murch.
- Apocalypse Oz – an adaptation film during the early 21st century. Apocalypse Oz is a short film parody of The Wizard of Oz and Apocalypse Now, which was produced in 2006.
- After the Wizard – is an independent film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. It follows the modern-day events of the novel, which serves as a semi-sequel.
- Dorothy and the Witches of Oz – is a film adaptation in 2012, following the story of the 2011 miniseries: Witches of Oz.
- Oz the Great and Powerful – is another film by Walt Disney Pictures produced in 2013.
- OzLand – is an independent film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. It is a fantasy/sci-fi drama, which consists of characters inspired by the novel.
Animation
- The Wizard of Oz – is an early animated film adaptation produced in 1933.
- Journey Back to Oz – is an animated film that took years to finish. It was released in 1972.
- Once Upon a Time – is an animated adaptation of The Wizard of Oz in 1973.
- Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return – is a 3D animated musical adaptation of Dorothy of Oz.
- Guardians of Oz – is another 3D film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, which was released in 2015.
- The Steam Engines of Oz – is a Canadian Animated film released in 2018. It follows the story of the Land of Oz hundreds of years later.