Much like the yellow brick road, you never know where the various The Wizard of Oz movie adaptations might take you.
Victor Fleming’s 1939 take on L. Frank Baum’s novel, starring Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, has been widely viewed and adored for generations. But fewer of us recall nightmares induced by Return to Oz (1985), Disney’s loopy and genuinely frightening stab at a sequel.
There are many other overlooked movies set in Oz (both theatrical releases and made-for-TV features), including one with an extended Quentin Tarantino cameo. In addition to a silent epic and an animated triumph, Sam Raimi took the Oz mythos for a spin after Sidney Lumet adapted a groundbreaking musical from the material.
With Wicked hitting theaters on Nov. 22, now is a good time to revisit past films from over the rainbow. Here are the most notable Wizard of Oz movie adaptations ranked, including a few classics and a couple you may have missed.
7. Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
Merie Weismiller Wallace/Disney
Though not exactly a critical darling, this recent entry in the canon is still a visual feast. It sees a disreputable magician (James Franco) arrive in Oz and seize a sinister opportunity, exploiting the land and its locals by claiming to be the fabled wizard who will save their kingdom. But a trio of witches — Evanora (Rachel Weisz), Glinda (Michelle Williams), and Theodora (Mila Kunis) — convince the interloper that Oz may actually be worth fighting for.
Neither as dark nor as gonzo as one would hope Sam Raimi’s prequel take on The Wizard of Oz would be, Oz the Great and Powerful is a still bonafide blockbuster that touts lively performances and sweeping 3-D effects.
6. The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz (2005)
ABC/BOB D’AMICO
This adaptation is both bonkers and an effective twist on the 1939 film. As the title suggests, Jim Henson’s puppets are front and center with Dorothy Gale (Ashanti), an aspiring singer who gets caught in a tornado after sharing her demo with the Muppets. Now transported to the Land of Oz, a Scarecrow (Kermit the Frog), a “Tin Thing” (Gonzo), a Cowardly Lion (Fozzie Bear), and a Good Witch (Ms. Piggy) help her chanteuse dreams come true while fending off a Wicked Witch (also Ms. Piggy).
Muppets’ Wizard of Oz is genuinely entertaining, utter camp nonsense. Some scenes inspire awe and wonder in the classic Disney style, and then there’s a sweaty cameo by Quentin Tarantino as a film director trying to sell Kermit on his slice-and-dice vision of the film. Reviews at the time dismissed the (admittedly irrelevant) pop culture references, but 20 years later, they’re some of the movie’s most enjoyable beats.
Where to watch The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz: Apple TV+ (to rent)
5. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1987)
CINAR Films
Narrated by Margot Kidder, this cartoon adaptation stays true to the well-known narrative and has charm to spare. The film was cut together from a Japanese animated series of the same name — a 52-episode adaptation of Baum’s books that aired between 1986 and 1987 — and dubbed into English with a Canadian cast.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz boasts a simple animation style and a balanced script aimed at adolescents that doesn’t pander for a moment. It’s dark, edgy, and occasionally even surreal, but always jocular, with a steady pace and a handful of memorably rendered set pieces, many of which build off of sequences in the 1939 version.
Where to watch The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Not available to stream
4. The Wizard of Oz (1925)
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The first feature-length Oz adaptation is a mystifying silent epic starring Dorothy Dwan as Dorothy and Oliver Hardy (later of Laurel and Hardy fame) as the Tin Woodsman. In this version, Dorothy is the heir to Oz’s throne and must outwit the appropriately named Prime Minister Kruel (Josef Swickard) with a little help from the eponymous wizard (Charles Murray).
A more somber approach to Baum’s novel than its better-known 1939 counterpart, Larry Semon’s film bears many design similarities to The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) and possesses a magical realism that is at turns genuinely creepy and properly enchanting.
Where to watch The Wizard of Oz: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)
3. Return to Oz (1985)
Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett
Return to Oz is an emotional homecoming for the beloved characters and a freakout head trip for viewers. Dorothy (The Craft’s Fairuza Balk, in her film debut) is horrified to hear that her old pals Scarecrow (Justin Case), Tin Man (Deep Roy), and Cowardly Lion (John Alexander) have been turned to stone and trapped in a dystopian Emerald City. Now, she must go toe-to-toe with Princess Mombi (Jean Marsh) and the fearsome Nome King (Nicol Williamson) to reclaim her beloved kingdom.
This somewhat forgotten Disney movie is the stuff of childhood nightmares. Flinch at Dorothy’s electroshock treatment scene, something Ken Russell would’ve been timid to execute; recoil at the Nome King’s ultimate devastation, which verges on Cronenbergian body horror; hide your face from the Wheelers, this film’s vastly more horrifying answer to the flying monkeys.
2. The Wiz (1978)
Courtesy Everett
Sidney Lumet directed this exuberant, groundbreaking adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway musical, seeing Dorothy Gale (Diana Ross) as a Harlem schoolteacher transported to Oz. There, she joins forces with the Scarecrow (Michael Jackson), the Tin Man (Nipsey Russell), and the Cowardly Lion (Ted Ross) to track down the Wiz (Richard Pryor).
Dorothy’s odyssey feels almost like she’s tripping from one alternative realm to another. There’s an uncanniness to 1970s Harlem here; a magical-realist urban sprawl that’s both palpably gritty and like something from a fairy tale. Meanwhile, Lumet’s Oz is like a mystical New York City. It’s a sprawling canvas that evokes a disused theme park, stretching from the recesses of Munchkinland to the gleaming streets of the Emerald City.
Producer Berry Gordy insisted that The Wiz was “not a Black film” but rather “a film with Black stars.” The result carves a lively, authentic space in the classic tale’s canon with a dazzling cast of color front and center. It’s a joy to behold.
1. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Courtesy Everett
Of course, Victor Fleming’s seminal film tops any rational list of cinematic adaptations. Its then-revolutionary use of Technicolor photography brings Dorothy’s (Judy Garland) journey to vivid life, with the shining yellow brick road leading her to the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), Tin Man (Jack Haley), Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), and later the spectacular Emerald City.
One cannot overstate the film’s immersive world and masterful balance of tones. It crafts unforgettable scares via Margaret Hamilton’s legitimately frightening Wicked Witch of the West and seamlessly diffuses them with Glinda’s (Billie Burke) grace, or one of the Cowardly Lion’s innocent quips.
Eighty-five years of hindsight have done nothing to diminish this timeless classic. It’s anchored by one of Garland’s finest performances and gifts us her most famous song, “Over the Rainbow.” But any of its musical sequences, especially those featuring Garland’s sterling and melodious voice, is still guaranteed to give audiences goosebumps for decades to come.
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