Return to Oz

Return to Oz

Credits
Title:	Return to Oz
Director:	Walter Murch
Writers:	Walter Murch; Gill Dennis
Producers:	Gary Kurtz; Paul Maslansky; Colin Michael Kitchens
Composer:	David Shire
Cinematography:	David Watkin
Editors:	Leslie Hodgson
Production
Production company:	Walt Disney Productions Silver Screen Partners II
Released:	June 21st, 1985
Rating:	PG
Running time:	113 min.
Country:	USA
Language:	English
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Return to Oz is an American live-action feature film of the fantasy genre. Narratively, it is considered an unofficial sequel to the 1939 MGM feature film The Wizard of Oz. It was directed by Walter Murch with a screenplay written by Murch and Gill Dennis. It was produced by Silver Screen Partners II and Walt Disney Productions. It premiered theatrically in the United States on June 21st, 1985. The film sees the return of several well known characters from the original story including Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale, Justin Case as the Scarecrow, Deep Roy as the Tin Man, and John Alexander as the Cowardly Lion, along with Piper Laurie as Auntie Em, Matt Clark as Uncle Henry, and Tansy playing the role of Toto. New characters in this film include Stewart Larange as Jack Pumpkinhead, Nicol Williamson as the Nome King, Mak Wilson as Billina with Michael Sundin, Tim Rose and Sean Barrett portraying Tik-Tok.

Plot[]

Cast[]

Actor	Role
Fairuza Balk	Dorothy Gale
Nicol Williamson	J.B. Worley/Nome King
Jean Marsh	Nurse Wilson/Mombi
Piper Laurie	Auntie Em
Matt Clark	Uncle Henry
Michael Sundin	Tik-Tok
Tim Rose	Tik-Tok
Sean Barrett	Tik-Tok voice
Mak Wilson	Billina
Denise Bryer	Billina voice
Brian Henson	Jack Pumpkinhead voice
Stewart Harvey-Wilson	Jack Pumpkinhead
Lyle Conway	Gump voice
Steve Norrington	Gump
Justin Case	Scarecrow
John Alexander	Cowardly Lion/Wheeler
Deep Roy	Tin Man voice
Emma Ridley	Ozma
Sophie Ward	Mombi II
Fiona Victory	Mombi III
Pons Maar	Lead Wheeler/Messenger
Rachel Ashton	Wheeler
Robbie Barnett	Wheeler
Ailsa Berk	Wheeler
Peter Elliott	Wheeler
Roger Ennals	Wheeler
Michele Hine	Wheeler
Mark Hopkins	Wheeler
Colin Skeaping	Wheeler
Ken Stevens	Wheeler
Philip Tan	Wheeler
Robert Thirtle	Wheeler
Bruce Boa	Policeman
Tansy	Toto

Notes & Trivia[]

All characters and concepts are based on the works of L. Frank Baum, beginning with the seminal 1900 children's novella, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
This movie adapts material from the 1904 book The Marvelous Land of Oz and the 1907 book Ozma of Oz.
The tagline to this film is "An all-new adventure down the yellow brick road".
Production on Return to Oz began on February 20th, 1984. Filming concluded in July, 1984. The movie was shot in parts of Wiltshire, England as well as Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, England.
There are a total of thirty-four credited cast members in this film. Of those thirty-four, thirty-three of them are human performers and one animal performer. Four of those thirty-three are voice actors.
Return to Oz was nominated for the category of Best Fantasy Film at the 1986 Saturn Awards. It was beaten out by Ladyhawke.
Return to Oz was released as a Disney Movie Club Exclusive 30th Anniversary Edition blu-ray by Buena Vista Pictures on April 14th, 2015.
Actor Stewart Harvey-Wilson, who plays Jack Pumpkinhead, is credited as Stewart Larange in this film.
Actor Stephen Norrington, who plays Gump, is credited as Steve Norrington in this film.
Actor Rob Thirtle, who plays a Wheeler, is credited as Robert Thirtle in this film.
On The Movie Database (TMDB), Return to Oz has a user score of 67%.
On Letterboxd, Return to Oz has a weighted average review score of 3.42 out of 5 based on 54,412 user ratings.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Return to Oz has a Tomatometer score of 59% based on 111 approved critic reviews. It has 66 fresh reviews and 45 rotten reviews. The movie has a Popcornmeter score of 71% based on more than 50,000 user ratings, averaging 3.8 out of 5.
Actor Steve Norrington will go on to direct the Marvel Comics supernatural action film Blade in 1998.
Several cast and crew members involved with this production have also worked on the Star Wars film series. Gary Kurtz worked as a producer on Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Actor Tim Rose, who plays Tik-Tok, is also known for playing Admiral Ackbar in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Actor Bruce Boa, who plays a police officer, is also known for playing General Rieekan in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
The events of this film take place in October, 1899, just before Halloween. It is stated that it has been six months since Dorothy Gale returned home, making the events of The Wizard of Oz take place in May, 1899.
J.B. Worley's mental health facility and private residence is located in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas. The newspaper article that Uncle Henry reads in the beginning cites the location as Lower Falls in the Town of Brockway. This is either a blooper or Lower Falls is another name for Cottonwood Falls.
The newspaper that Uncle Henry is reading has a circulation in Black River Falls and the surrounding areas, which may be an indicator where the family farm is located.

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