NBC’s ‘Wizard of Oz’ Spin-Off ‘Emerald City’ Is On Again


Last year, NBC ordered the Wizard of Oz spin-off idea, even going so far as to promote Emerald City with posters at Comic-Con, but dropped it as fast as a twister winding its way through the middle of Kansas. Promotional materials showed up in 2014 in many guises, including bus advertisements, although the Wizard of Oz project never reached beyond the planning stages.

Now, NBC has revived their plans for the Wizard of Oz themed show, ordering a 10-episode season of Emerald City, before a single role has been cast.

The original idea for the Wizard of Oz spin-off recreated the story of Dorothy and Oz in a darker atmosphere, hoping to resemble something like Game of Thrones. Now, NBC has brought in David Schulner to rework the concept of the Wizard of Oz-themed show, and the network is confident enough in their Wizard of Oz idea that they have released a plot summary.

“In the blink of a tornado’s eye, 20-year-old Dorothy Gale and her K9 police dog are transported to another world, one far removed from our own—a mystical land of competing kingdoms, lethal warriors, dark magic and a bloody battle for supremacy. This is the fabled Land of Oz in a way you’ve never seen before, where wicked witches don’t stay dead for long and a young girl becomes a headstrong warrior who holds the fate of kingdoms in her hands.”

The first incarnation of Emerald City, based on Frank L. Baum’s Wizard of Oz, was headed by Josh Friedman (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles). The addition of Schulner will undoubtedly bring in some changes, but little is known as far as what those changes might entail. Currently, much of what is known comes from the original Wizard of Oz-themed Emerald City idea, until new details begin to emerge.

The cancellation of the original Wizard of Oz project came only a month after the advertisements appeared at Comic-Con in 2014, only to be revived a year later. NBC may have seen an opportunity to build two projects upon one another, as this Wizard of Oz-themed show will air closely to another Wizard of Oz project: the live retelling of the Oz musical, The Wiz.

NBC may have an instant hit on their hands with the Wizard of Oz-themed series. The Wizard of Oz continues to appeal to the imaginations of children of all ages and from all walks of life. It wasn’t long ago that Comcast featured an ad with a visually-impaired girl imagining the world of Oz in her mind.

[Featured image: Emerald City bus ad. Image courtesy of NBC/Facebook]

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