Emerald City is hoping to hit big with its new take on the classic Oz canon. The first season is directed by Tarsem Singh. He’s the stylistic director behind such films as The Cell and Immortals. He’s definitely brought his overly theatrical take to the Land of Oz and… well, why don’t you just watch the trailer and make up your own mind first?
Here it be.
Are you a good witch, or a bad witch? #EmeraldCity pic.twitter.com/i63ign97xC
— Emerald City (@NBCEmeraldCity) November 23, 2016
OK, it’s fair to say that this is a very, very unique take on the property. You can’t claim to have seen an Oz story like this before. It also looks like this show is attempting to tap into some of that Game of Thrones royal intrigue. That should work for some people, right?
“Definitely not Kansas.”
Honestly, this does not look good. Fans are starting to really get tired of po-faced takes on classic fantasy stories. Look at the response to The Huntsman: Winter’s War or even the criticisms lobbed at the gloomy Batman v Superman. This may have a brighter color palette than those films but the attitude is still the same. does the Scarecrow really need to be… that?
What’s really disappointing is all the good actors in this. Joely Richardson as Glinda almost has me interested in this. Not to mention the once great Vincent D’Onofrio as the Wizard himself. That beard is too much to handle right now.
Even with these criticisms, it’s hard to deny that Emerald City is going to catch some eyeballs. Singh has always been able to deliver when it comes to that. But doesn’t his dreamy style clash with the grim tone? He was much better suited to Mirror, Mirror. That fairy tale film felt much more appropriate to give to Singh.
Look, I’m often more wrong than not. Don’t listen to me. Emerald City could be a treat that none of us are expecting. We’ll find out when the premiere hits on January 6.
