That’s no coincidence. The same guy — production designer Robert Stromberg — worked on both productions. Stromberg, who also designed Avatar, showcases his gift for crafting lush fantasy worlds in Disney’s $200 million 3-D prequel to the classic Wizard of Oz story.
The Oz teaser follows James Franco as a womanizing magician in early black-and-white “reality” sequences. Then, aloft in an air balloon, he lands in the postcard-gorgeous Land of Oz, where strange creatures join Theodora (played by Mila Kunis); her sister, Queen Evanora (Rachel Weisz); and kindly Queen Glinda (Michelle Williams) to welcome Franco’s proto-wizard.
Oz The Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Raimi, opens March 8.
