In the modern era of remaking classic films, the new editions often see a more diverse cast than the original. That is what Kenya Barris plans for his Wizard of Oz remake, with LGBT representation at the forefront, as reported by Variety. The goal is to “tell a story that reflects the world.”
The Black-ish creator compared to how the original represented the world at that time with the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, now over 90 years later, the Wizard of Oz remake will do the same for the modern world with LGBT representation, representation of people of color, and people from various cultural and socioeconomic communities.
“The original was an allegory and a reflection of the way the world was at the time with things like the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl,” he said about his Wizard of Oz remake and the original. “Now we’re going to turn a mirror on where we’re at right now and take disparate characters from the LGBTQ communities, from different cultural communities and socioeconomic communities, and tell a story that reflects the world.”
Kenya Barris aiming for diverse Wizard of Oz remake with LGBT representation
Taking a stab at a remake of The Wizard of Oz is an enormous undertaking. The 1939 film, based on the novel by L. Frank Baum, is a beloved classic that has stood the test of time. For Barris, he is “nervous” about making his film. He just hopes that his twist “can last as long as the original.” He added, “hopefully my movie comes out.”
Like how we will receive two different Pinocchio movies with the Disney film that was recently released and the upcoming take by Guillermo del Toro, we will receive a second remake of Wizard of Oz. TV director Nicole Kassell, known for The Killing, Watchmen, Westworld, and more, will direct her take on the classic story.
Barris is known for the sitcom Black-ish. The Emmy-winning series went on for eight seasons after its 2014 debut. He is known for also writing Shaft, Grown-ish, Coming 2 America, Mixed-ish, and Girls Trip. He is working on his feature-length directorial debut that he will also co-write with Jonah Hill, titled You People. The film will star Hill with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Eddie Murphy.