The Wiz

The Wiz is a 1978 musical fantasy that reimagines The Wizard of Oz in a contemporary New York setting. Dorothy, a shy young kindergarten teacher in Harlem, sets out through a snowstorm to find her lost dog, Toto. The storm carries her into Oz, a surreal city that echoes New York itself. There she is told she must reach the powerful wizard if she is to find her way home, and along the yellow brick road she meets a scarecrow who wants a brain, a tin man who wants a heart and a timid lion who wants courage.

Sidney Lumet directed the film, the thirteenth of the twenty-six features he made, following Equus and preceding Prince of the City. Joel Schumacher wrote the screenplay, Rob Cohen produced, and Motown Productions made the film with Universal Pictures. Diana Ross plays Dorothy, with Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, Nipsey Russell as the Tinman, Ted Ross as the Lion, Mabel King as Evillene and Theresa Merritt as Aunt Em. The production involved 53 credited cast members and 58 credited crew.

Made for about 24 million dollars, the film took roughly 21 million dollars worldwide, less than its cost. On IMDb it holds 5.7 out of 10 from around 19,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.2 out of 10 from a much smaller body of 331 votes, while the critics' rating stands at 5.2 out of 10 from 116 reviews, below the audience scores.