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Disney & Oz Part III: Muppets, Raimi, Once and the future

Disney's later work with the Oz property included the Muppets, Sam Raimi, a hit ABC show and the question of the future!

By Michael Weyer

Premiere Of Walt Disney Pictures' "Oz The Great And Powerful" - Arrivals
Premiere Of Walt Disney Pictures' "Oz The Great And Powerful" - Arrivals / Albert L. Ortega/GettyImages
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Once’s surprising Witch

REBECCA MADER
ONCE UPON A TIME - "Chosen" - Kelly comes face-to-face with The Candy Killer after someone she loves is taken hostage. Meanwhile, Samdi uses Drew to execute a deadly plan. In a flashback, Zelena learns a harsh lesson after an encounter with Hansel and Gretel goes awry, on "Once Upon a Time," FRIDAY, APRIL 13 (8:00-9:01 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Jack Rowand) REBECCA MADER /

There was one more notable attempt by Disney to use the Oz mythos, this time on the small screen. Once Upon a Time was a surprise hit when it debuted in 2011, using the concept of a town where classic fairy tale characters were cursed to live normal lives. As the show grew in popularity, Disney began integrating more of its own properties into it, most famously Frozen.

Season 3 introduced the Wicked Witch with the big turn of her being the half-sister of Evil Queen Regina. She was only meant to be around for a few episodes, but Rebecca Mader’s wonderful performance made her popular enough to bring her back and even redeem her. Again, Disney had to be a bit careful with the trademarks but still used it well. 

As it stands now, Disney seems to not have any ideas for the Oz property. Which is a shame as the books offer so much potential for a streaming TV show that could adapt the books. Marvel Comics did some fine adaptations of the original novels to remind folks of how different they were. 

It doesn’t even have to be a strict adaptation as it could follow up on the 2014 movie, showing the events leading to Dorothy’s arrival and the Wizard’s power. Disney seems content to let Universal use the property a bit more with Wicked looking like a smash hit. However, given how long the company has been trying to get their Oz plans off the ground, it seems inevitable that some day, some way, fans can be whisked back into that world again.

Oz the Great and Powerful and Once Upon a Time streaming on Disney+.

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