# Recasting Of Wizard Of Oz **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2003, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511 "2003-07-28T20:26:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/1 "2003-07-28T20:26:14Z")
If you had to recast Wizard of Oz today who would you put in the Dorothy role? Tough one eh? How about The Wicked Witch of The West? Even tougher yet! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/2 "2003-07-28T20:35:21Z")
Kathy Bates might be a good Wicked Witch. ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/3 "2003-07-28T20:43:37Z")
Kathy Bates is a good one! What about the other roles? How about Johnny Depp for the Scarecrow? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/4 "2003-07-28T21:15:52Z")
I’m thinking Gilbert Gottfried for the Cowardly Lion. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/5 "2003-07-28T21:18:53Z")
Johnny Depp would be a good scarecrow! Sara Gilbert as Dorothy Nathan Lane as The Wizard Katey Sagal as The Good Witch ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/6 "2003-07-28T23:45:23Z")
[Dakota Fanning](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Fanning,%20Dakota) as Dorothy. Catherine Zeta-Jones as the Wicked Witch (hey, it’s WICKED not UGLY!) Nicole Kidman as Glinda the Good Witch The Scarecrow - Rupert Everett The Tin Man - Keanu Reeves The Lion - Mike Myers Auntie Em - Betty White The Wizard - Robin Williams ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/7 "2003-07-29T00:16:01Z")
Wow. This thread just goes to show the dearth of the kind of talent of the type that could make a movie like TWOO a success today. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/8 "2003-07-29T00:41:37Z")
Well, if you’re looking for people who can sing and dance, yeah, there aren’t many musicals made anymore and hence there’s not much singing/dancing/broad comedy talent. But you’d probably use a CGI lion. And James Earl Jones as the voice of the Wizard, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/9 "2003-07-29T01:31:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DeVena \* > \*\*[Dakota Fanning](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Fanning,%20Dakota) as Dorothy. > > Catherine Zeta-Jones as the Wicked Witch (hey, it’s WICKED not UGLY!) > \*\* au contraire – If you check the original book, both wicked witches were described as ugly. Dorothy at first could not believe Glinda was a witch because she was beautiful; Glinda explained that only bad witches are ugly. ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/10 "2003-07-29T01:40:20Z")
I believe these performers can all sing and/or dance. Dorothy: **haven’t a clue** Wicked Witch: **Glenn Close** Glinda the Good Witch: **Patti Lupone** Lion: **Matthew Broderick** Tin Man: **Christopher Walken** Scarecrow: **Eric Idle** Wizard: **Nathan Lane** ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/11 "2003-07-29T02:05:17Z")
I suggest [Miranda Richardson](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Richardson,+Miranda) for the Wicked Witch. She’s really good at eeeeeeevil. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/12 "2003-07-29T02:14:04Z")
Dorothy; NOT Brittany Spears or the Olsen Twinz, perhaps, ah hell, who’s the actress who was the Princess Amygdala in Star Wars??? Starts with a N, right? Wicked Witch: Liza Minelli Scarecrow: Johnny Depp Tin Man: Willem Dafoe Cowardly Lion: Forrest Whittaker or Nathan Lane Glinda the Good Witch: Bernadette Peters The Wizard: James Earl Jones is right on time Flying Monkey: Oliver North ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/13 "2003-07-29T11:39:07Z")
**elelle** – Bernadette Peters as Glinda – excellent choice! Gets my vote. ---
**Author:** ![HomeSlice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9d8465/32.png) [@HomeSlice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HomeSlice)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/14 "2003-07-29T12:09:28Z")
Britney Spears as Dorothy ---
**Author:** ![HomeSlice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9d8465/32.png) [@HomeSlice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HomeSlice)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/15 "2003-07-29T12:10:10Z")
elelle: Natalie Portman ---
**Author:** ![acrossthesea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@acrossthesea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/acrossthesea)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/16 "2003-07-29T14:04:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DeVena \* > \*\*[Dakota Fanning](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Fanning,%20Dakota) as Dorothy. > > Catherine Zeta-Jones as the Wicked Witch (hey, it’s WICKED not UGLY!) > > Nicole Kidman as Glinda the Good Witch > > The Scarecrow - Rupert Everett > > The Tin Man - Keanu Reeves > > The Lion - Mike Myers > > Auntie Em - Betty White > > The Wizard - Robin Williams \*\* I have no idea who Dakota Fanning is and I am not sure I agree about Catherine Zeta-Jones, but the rest of this list seems perfect. It makes me wish said movie did exist so I could watch it. Robin Williams as the wizard? That would be perfect. ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/17 "2003-07-29T14:19:33Z")
However it ends up I think Jackie Chan should be the Tinman because he kicks ass with that evil axe of doom and all. Plus he just looks like he would be a good king of the Winkies. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/18 "2003-07-29T14:31:50Z")
I can’t even begin to imagine the travesty Robin Williams would make of the role of the Wizard. Oh wait, yes I can. And it makes me very sad. ---
**Author:** ![WIGGUM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WIGGUM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WIGGUM)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/19 "2003-07-29T14:53:28Z")
How about Ewan McGregor as the Tin Man. I was pleasantly surprised by his pipes in Moulin Rouge. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recasting-of-wizard-of-oz/191511/20 "2003-07-29T15:45:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > \*\*I can’t even begin to imagine the travesty Robin Williams would make of the role of the Wizard. > > Oh wait, yes I can. > > And it makes me very sad. \*\* He would be good as [Uncle Henry](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&postid=3680224&highlight=robin+williams#post3680224), though. I was trying to be serious in that thread and had been inspired by a clip of Buddy Ebsen’s version of “If I Only Had a Heart”. I don’t know if Harry Connick, Jr. can dance but he sure has the voice for it.