Fresh off the massive success of ‘Watchmen‘ for HBO, executive producer/director Nicole Kassell has been hired to helm the new adaptation of the beloved children’s novel ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ by L. Frank Baum for New Line.
For her work on ‘Watchmen’ won a DGA award for dramatic series and an Emmy award as well. As the showrunner of the series, she proved her directing prowess by taking the directing reigns on three episodes including the pilot episode. Watchmen stood out for both its’ visual impact as well as the substance of the storylines. Her meticulous attention to detail convinced New Line that they could end their lengthy search. ‘The wizard of Oz’ is a priority project for New Line, seeing it as opportunity to capture the magic from the original film as well as offer a new spin. And it has all the potential to firmly establish Kassell as a major player in the directing circles of Hollywood.
In response to her hiring, Kassell had this to say:
“I am incredibly honored to join Temple Hill and New Line in bringing this beloved classic to the screen… While the 1939 musical is part of my DNA , I am exhilarated and humbled by the responsibility of re-imagining such a legendary tale. The opportunity to examine the original themes- the quest for courage, love, wisdom and home- feels more timely and urgent than ever. These are profoundly iconic shoes to fill , and I am eager to dance alongside these heroes of my childhood as we pave a newly minted yellow brick road. “
How excited are you to see how Nicole Kassell breathes new life into the classic story?
Source: Deadline
Born and raised in DFW Texas. 24 years old. Studied at Texas Wesleyan University. Positively love movies and love writing about them and everything that goes into them.
