Spider-Man star and Oscars co-host James Franco has signed on to star as the Wizard in the upcoming Wizard of Oz prequel; Oz: The Great and Powerful.

Evil Dead and Spider-Man trilogy director Sam Raimi is attached to direct. Here’s a quick synopsis for Oz: The Great and the Powerful that I took from IMDB…

This is a prequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) by L. Frank Baum, told from the point of view of the Wizard. It tells how the Wizard arrived in Oz and how he became the ruler.

The film is billed as a prequel to the original L. Frank Baum novel that inspired the 1939 Oscar-winning feature The Wizard of Oz.

The script for Oz: The Great and the Powerful has been written by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Albaire. It will be produced by Joe Roth.

Production is expected to get underway in July after Franco wraps on his current movie; While We’re Young.

Photo courtesy of thevapid.com

Related posts:

1. Johnny Depp To Replace Robert Downey JR In Wizard Of Oz Prequel
2. Spider-Man Star James Franco To Star In Planet Of The Apes Prequel?
3. Remake Alert! The Wizard Of Oz!
4. James Franco To Direct And Star In The Night Stalker Biopic
5. Danny Boyle Says That James Franco Used Child Birth As Inspiration For 127 Hours Role