Wicked was fun, and Wicked: For Good is a movie we’re looking forward to seeing later this year. But the adjacent Wizard of Oz hype that began with the Las Vegas Sphere‘s worrisomely AI-injected extravaganza has taken another odd turn: Dorothy, a new Amazon series in development, with Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton among its executive producers, that will interpret L. Frank Baum’s story in a whole new way.
As Deadline reports, this new take on The Wizard of Oz is “a contemporary, music-infused YA retelling of Wizard of Oz based on L. Frank Baum’s books using the Yellow Brick Road as a metaphor for the challenges and choices facing young adults today.”
Gina Matthews—whose producing credits include 13 Going on 30; she also co-created the TV series Popular—is the main force behind Dorothy. Speaking to Deadline, she described herself as a lifelong fan of the Wizard of Oz books and outlined the driving theme of the new series.
“The story reminds us of the qualities we need to get through hard times, and Dorothy is a symbol of strength who shows us that with a little kindness—and a lot of grit—we can not only achieve great things but also lift up those around us. I’m excited to bring that message to the world, now more than ever.”
It’s at least a different spin on Oz-adjacent projects than we’ve seen in the past; prior TV approaches have skewed much darker, like the 2007 Sci-Fi Channel miniseries Tin Man and NBC’s short-lived 2017 series Emerald City, which starred a pre-Andor Adria Arjona as Dorothy. And so far, it seems Stefani and Shelton are just involved in a behind-the-scenes capacity; there’s no mention of either having a hand in the music for Dorothy.
Still, is the combination of The Wizard of Oz, Prime Video, Stefani and Shelton, and a show with what sounds like a teeth-grittingly optimistic message something people will actually want to watch? Much less attract the YA audience Dorothy is apparently going for? We remain skeptical.
We also wouldn’t mind if, once Wicked: For Good completes its run, The Wizard of Oz returned to its more classic form for a good long while. If you want to spend time in a different version of the land over the rainbow, 1985’s pleasingly creepy Return to Oz is also well worth revisiting.
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