Return to Oz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Return to Oz |
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The movie poster by Drew Struzan
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| Directed by | Walter Murch |
| Produced by | Paul Maslansky |
| Screenplay by | Walter Murch Gill Dennis |
| Starring | |
| Music by | David Shire |
| Cinematography | David Watkin |
| Editing by | Leslie Hodgson |
| Studio | Walt Disney Pictures Silver Screen Partners |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Distribution |
| Release date(s) | June 21, 1985 (United States) |
| Running time | 113 minutes |
| Country | United States United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $28 million |
| Money made | $11.1 million (USA) |
Return to Oz is a fantasy film released by Walt Disney Pictures in 1985. It was directed and written by Walter Murch, with help from Gill Dennis on the script. Paul Maslansky produced the movie.
The film stars Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale, which was her first movie role. Other main actors include Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, and Piper Laurie. This movie is like a new chapter after the famous 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. It is based on some of the Oz books written by L. Frank Baum in the early 1900s, especially The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz.
In the story, Dorothy goes back to the magical Land of Oz. But she finds that the evil Nome King has taken over! Dorothy must team up with new friends like Billina the chicken, Tik-Tok the robot, Jack Pumpkinhead, the Gump, and Princess Ozma to save Oz.
Disney bought the rights to Baum's Oz books in 1954 for their TV shows. Later, in 1980, Walter Murch suggested making another Oz movie. Disney agreed because they were about to lose the rights to the series. Even though the first movie's studio, MGM, wasn't involved, Disney had to pay a lot of money to use the famous ruby slippers from the 1939 film.
Return to Oz was released in theaters on June 21, 1985. It didn't make a lot of money in the United States, earning $11.1 million against a $28 million budget. Critics had mixed feelings. They liked the special effects and the actors' performances. However, some thought the movie was too dark or scary compared to the original. Outside the US, the movie did better. Over time, it has become a cult favorite for many fans of the Oz books. They feel it is more like L. Frank Baum's original stories. The film was even nominated for an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
Contents
The Story of Return to Oz
The movie begins in the autumn of 1899. Dorothy Gale can't stop talking about the Land of Oz. Her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry worry about her. They think she is imagining things. So, they take her to a special hospital run by Dr. Worley and Nurse Wilson. Dr. Worley plans to use a machine to help Dorothy stop dreaming.
Suddenly, lightning strikes, causing a power outage. A mysterious girl helps Dorothy escape. She tells Dorothy that Dr. Worley's machines can hurt people. Nurse Wilson chases the girls to a river. Dorothy jumps onto a floating chicken coop. She can't save the other girl and floats away down the river.
Dorothy wakes up in Oz with her chicken, Billina. To Dorothy's surprise, Billina can now talk! They follow a broken Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City. But the city is in ruins, and its people have turned to stone. Strange creatures called Wheelers, who have wheels instead of hands and feet, attack them.
Luckily, Tik-Tok, a mechanical man, saves them. Tik-Tok tells Dorothy that Scarecrow, who was the king of Oz, told him to wait for Dorothy's return. Dorothy, Billina, and Tik-Tok decide to visit Princess Mombi's castle to learn what happened to the Emerald City.
Mombi is a scary princess who collects different heads and wears them. She tells Dorothy that the Nome King is holding Scarecrow captive in his mountain. The Nome King is the one who destroyed Oz. Mombi then says she wants Dorothy's head for her collection! She locks Dorothy and her friends in a tower.
Inside the tower, they meet Jack Pumpkinhead. Jack explains that Mombi brought him to life using a special "Powder of Life." The four friends decide to build a flying creature out of furniture. They use the head of a moose-like animal called the Gump. Dorothy bravely steals the Powder of Life from Mombi to bring their new creature to life.
The Gump flies them across the Deadly Desert to the Nome King's mountain. Mombi and the Wheelers chase after them.
The Gump crashes on the Nome King's mountain. Dorothy briefly sees Scarecrow, but the Nome King turns him into an ornament. The Nome King gives each of Dorothy's friends three chances to find Scarecrow among his many ornaments. The Gump, Jack, and Tik-Tok all fail and are also turned into ornaments.
Before Dorothy takes her turn, the Nome King reveals he has her lost ruby slippers. He used them to conquer Oz. He offers to use the slippers to send Dorothy home. But Dorothy refuses! She wants to save her friends. Mombi arrives at the mountain.
With her last guess, Dorothy turns a green gem into Scarecrow. She realizes that people from Oz turn into green objects when they become ornaments. She then finds and restores Jack and the Gump. This makes the Nome King furious! He traps Mombi in a cage for letting Dorothy escape.
The Nome King then grows to a giant size and tries to eat Jack. But Billina, who was hiding inside Jack's head, lays an egg! The egg falls into the Nome King's mouth, which poisons him. Dorothy quickly gets the ruby slippers. The ornament room and the Nome King's underground kingdom start to fall apart.
Dorothy wishes for everyone to return to a restored Emerald City. There, she finds a green medal on Gump's antler. Dorothy restores it, and it turns back into Tik-Tok.
The people of Oz ask Dorothy to be their Queen. But Dorothy wants to go home. Princess Ozma, who was the girl from the hospital and the true ruler of Oz, is freed from a mirror where Mombi had trapped her. Ozma becomes the Queen of Oz. Ozma takes the ruby slippers from Dorothy and uses them to send Dorothy home. She promises Dorothy can return anytime she wishes. Billina decides to stay in Oz.
Dorothy wakes up on a riverbank in Kansas. Her family finds her. Aunt Em tells her that the clinic was hit by lightning and burned down. Everyone survived except Dr. Worley, who died trying to save his machines. Dorothy goes home. Later, she sees Billina and Ozma through her bedroom mirror. She calls for Aunt Em, but Billina and Ozma signal for her to keep Oz a secret.
Characters in the Movie
Live Action Actors
- Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale
- Nicol Williamson as Dr. J.B. Worley and the Nome King
- Jean Marsh as Nurse Wilson and Mombi
- Sophie Ward as Mombi II
- Fiona Victory as Mombi III
- Piper Laurie as Aunt Em
- Matt Clark as Uncle Henry
- Emma Ridley as the Girl at the hospital and Princess Ozma
- Justin Case as the Scarecrow
- Pons Maar as the Lead Wheeler and Nurse Wilson's assistant
- Bruce Boa as Policeman
- Tansy as Toto
- John Alexander, Rachael Ashton, Robbie Barnett, Ailsa Berk, Peter Elliott, Roger Ennals, Michele Hine, Mark Hopkins, Colin Skeaping, Ken Stevens, Philip Tan and Rob Thirtle as the Wheelers
Voice Actors
- Denise Bryer as Billina
- Sean Barrett as Tik-Tok
- Brian Henson as Jack Pumpkinhead
- Lyle Conway as the Gump
- Pons Maar as Nome Messenger
- Beatrice Murch as Princess Ozma (uncredited)
Puppeteers
- Mak Wilson as Billina
- Timothy D. Rose as Tik-Tok (head operator)
- Michael Sundin as Tik-Tok (in-suit performer)
- Brian Henson as Jack Pumpkinhead (head operator)
- Stewart Larange as Jack Pumpkinhead (body performer)
- Lyle Conway and Steve Norrington as the Gump
- Deep Roy as the Tin Man
- John Alexander as the Cowardly Lion
Movie Release
In Theaters
Return to Oz first showed in the United States on June 21, 1985. It opened in 1,300 movie theaters, including the famous Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Disney spent about $6 million to advertise the film. They even added a Return to Oz float with characters from the movie to Disneyland's Main Street Electrical Parade. The movie was released in London theaters on July 11, 1985.
Home Video
Over the years, Return to Oz has been released on many home video formats. These include VHS, Betamax, Laserdisc, DVD, and Blu-ray. The first home video versions came out in December 1985. In 1999, Anchor Bay Entertainment released the film on VHS and DVD. These versions included an introduction by Fairuza Balk and an interview with her.
In 2004, Disney released its own DVD version. This DVD had better sound and was made for widescreen TVs. It also kept the special features from the Anchor Bay disc and added some TV commercials and a movie trailer. In 2015, Disney released a 30th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray. This version had a newly improved picture and sound, but it did not include the bonus features from the 2004 DVD.
You can also find Return to Oz in the "From the Vault" section of Disney's streaming service, Disney+.
See also
In Spanish: Return to Oz para niños
