LOS ANGELES — Returning to the mystical land of "The Wizard of Oz" took more than 70 years and several hundred millions dollars.
Disney releases its highly anticipated prequel to the 1939 movie classic on Friday. Directed by Sam Raimi, "Oz the Great and Powerful" explores the origins of the wizard (James Franco) and the witches (Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz) in a three-dimensional Oz.
The $200 million production, not counting another $100 million in estimated marketing costs, is a huge gamble for everyone involved, considering "The Wizard of Oz" is among the most enduring and beloved films of all time. Even Raimi, director of the first three "Spider-Man" movies, described the project as "daunting."
The risk is compounded by a general box-office slump and a poor showing for last weekend's $200 million big-screen take on another popular tale, "Jack the Giant Slayer," based on "Jack and the Beanstalk."
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