Shattering the argument that “some movies are untouchable” is Warner Bros. decision to remake 1939 classic, The Wizard of Oz, arguably the most beloved movie of all-time. To be fair, they were going in a very different direction with it, hiring Watchmen filmmaker Nicole Kassell to direct. But perhaps her take on the remake wasn’t what the studio was looking for, because now they’re changing gears by hiring Kenya Barris to replace her.
Deadline reports Kenya Barris will now write and direct WB’s The Wizard of Oz remake. Barris is best known as the creator of black-ish, but also for writing Coming 2 America, Girls Trip, and The Witches. He’s currently working on his directorial debut, You People.
Barris will be modernizing the Wizard of Oz story, but it’s way too early to know more than that. It seems he’s starting over completely from scratch so this trip down the yellow brick road could be a long one.