Raimi and Downey Jr. are set for the Great and Powerful

After a couple of reports on who would be directing Robert Downey Jr. on the upcoming Disney picture Oz the Great and Powerful, a couple of things are finally confirmed. That’s basically the fact that Downey Jr. and director Sam Raimi are locked to work together on the new prequel.

Downey will play the Wizard Of Oz before he became the Wizard Of Oz circa the 1939 iconic film: he’s in fact a circus wrangler transported by tornado to the mysterious world of Oz where he gets mistaken for a know-it-all (Deadline). Initial filming will more than likely commence later on this year if they want to take full advantage of Sam Raimi’s free time since he jumped ship on Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man franchise.

Do you think that Oz the Great and Powerful can strike box office gold like Walt Disney Pictures’ successful feature Alice in Wonderland?