Johnny Depp clicked his loafers three times and wished himself free of Oz, and so it is done. The popular actor has been in talks to join Sam Raimi's Oz the Great and Powerful ever since Robert Downey Jr. dropped out of the role, reportedly that of an illusionist with an attitude who gets swept up in a hot air balloon and lands in Oz. That puts him at odds with the two witches who run the place. No reason was given for Depp's refusal, but it's not as if he isn't busy enough.
So who's next on the list? According to THR, Raimi is now in preliminary talks with James Franco to headline the pic. Raimi and Franco worked together before on Spider-Man, but Franco's dance card is pretty well booked up and there's no guarantee he'll want to tackle yet another possible franchise. He's just completed Rise of the Apes and has a number of other projects in the works, including some behind the camera.
I can't be the only one who thinks this movie's looking more and more tenuous. There are a number of Wizard of Oz related flicks in the works right now, and if Franco passes we could see this one fall way behind in a lot of people's minds.
