All these people are, in the beginning at least, mortals who become helped by and victim to the magic that rules Oz - magic that The Wizard ( Vincent D'Onofrio ) is working to eradicate and thereby starting a war. But suffice it to say Toto isn't a harmless little lap dog the Scarecrow is a rugged, handsome man left for dead without any recollection of who he is and the Tin Man is fully human when we meet him.
Part of the fun in watching the series is meeting the new iterations of the characters you know, so I won't spoil it all here. Landscape shots make the series feel otherworldly interior shots inside castles and temples sing with vibrancy and ruthless attention to detail.Īll the main players - and their motives - are different than you rememberįor starters, Dorothy ( Adria Arjona) is Hispanic - and she's no sweet, canary-voiced lady she's an ass kicker. Singh is known for his elaborate, gorgeous visuals and Emerald City continues that reputation. It looks as grand and cinematic as it sounds. That meant shooting on locations that required going to half of Europe - including a remote national park in Croatia, 15th Century castles in Hungary and the Park Güell in Barcelona. Vincent D'onofrio as The Wizard, Roxy Sternberg as Elizabeth, Susan-Li Ong as Isabel, Emerald City Rico Torres/NBCĬalling Emerald City ambitious is a bit like calling a tornado a rain storm Singh aimed to use as little CGI as possible to capture the "original magic" in part through the use of soaring, fanciful scenery. With so much invested, there may be many fingers crossed at NBC in hopes that this supernatural story could perhaps be its next Grimm, which is concluding this season. Even after that, scripts were re-written as actors and locations were chosen.
Singh mandated he shoot all the episodes (as opposed to being split among multiple directors as most shows are) like a 10-hour movie and that all 10 episode scripts be done in advance. NBC brought it back in 2015 though, bringing on a new team including executive producer Shaun Cassidy, showrunner David Schulner ( Desperate Housewives) and Tarsem Singh ( T he Cell, The Fall) as director. But after a dispute with its leaders Matthew Arnold ( Siberia) and Josh Freidman ( Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles ) things fell apart and the entire project was scrapped before it even went into production. Way back in 2014, NBC was ready to put 10 episodes of the series on air in 2015. The road to getting to see the yellow brick road was packed with more obstacles than Dorothy could've ever imagined. Winter Preview: Get the scoop on all your favorite returning shows
Ready to be taken, ahem, by storm? Here's everything you need to know about Emerald City.
It's addictive - if only to see how the plot points you remember play out in the 21st century re-telling - and full of cultural resonance that lets it join The Wiz and Wicked in becoming inspired interpretations of the ever-evolving story. That complex jumping-off point is the basis for NBC's Emerald City, a grownup take on the story that's (not inaccurately) being called a darker interpretation and " The Wizard of Oz meets Game of Thrones." Premiering Friday, Emerald City is an over-the-top, often eye-popping spectacle that keeps steady with the basic story while giving it modern updates and imaginative, playful turns. The iconic film is just one take on the 14 books Frank Baum wrote - books that were much more complex, adult and filled with political allegory and social commentary than the Technicolor movie we remember. Tornado in Kansas, ruby slippers, yellow brick road, green witch who melts: most of us know The Wizard of Oz.Or so we think. (Caution: Some spoilers about Emerald City ahead)