Kenya Barris is set to do a fresh take on The Wizard of Oz for Warner Bros., The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Barris will reimagine the Oscar-winning fantasy musical, which starred Judy Garland, Billie Burke, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley. Warner Bros. Pictures owns the rights to the 1939 Hollywood classic.
Barris will also produce Wizard of Oz through his production banner, Khalabo Ink Society.
Warner Bros. was developing an animated Wizard of Oz retelling, working with veteran scribe Mark Burton. The film, from Toto’s perspective, was to be based on a children’s book by War Horse writer Michael Morpurgo, which tells the story of Dorothy’s trip through Oz through the eyes of her faithful dog.
Elsewhere, Snoop Dogg and Barris are teaming for The Underdoggs comedy for MGM, with Charles Stone to direct, and MGM and Barris are also in development on a Richard Pryor biopic, which Barris will direct as well as write and produce.
Deadline Hollywood was the first to report on Barris reimagining the Wizard of Oz film.
