There's no place like Oz.

Following the blockbuster success of the Wicked film adaptation duology, composer Stephen Schwartz and writer Winnie Holzman are returning to the Land of Oz, with a new protagonist in mind.

In an interview with The National, the English-language newspaper of the United Arab Emirates, Schwartz revealed that the pair are currently working on a follow-up film to both The Wizard of Oz and Wicked, centered on Princess Ozma.

First introduced in the second Oz book, Ozma is one of the most important characters in L. Frank Baum's Oz book series. The rightful ruler of Oz, she is a benevolent and compassionate ruler who regains control of Oz following The Wizard's departure.

Amongst Oz fans, Ozma is particularly beloved both for her deeply intimate relationship with The Wizard of Oz protagonist Dorothy Gale, and for her status as an icon for gender non-conforming Oz aficionados. In the books, Ozma was born a girl, but was magically transformed into a boy named Tippetarius in order to ensure The Wizard's ascent to the throne. Raised as a boy until her early teens, the second book on the Oz series follows her journey to freedom, transforming back into the woman she was born to be as she accepts the crown. 

Per his interview with The National, Schwartz is currently in the process of writing the music and lyrics, while Holzman is writing the script for the new adaptation. The pair have been working on it for several years now. "I feel a little funny announcing this, because I don't know that it will happen, but we're at work on it. We went to Universal and they're very interested. So we're going to see if it will lead somewhere.”

The concept for the film originated with producer and artist George Makrinos, who wrote the Ages of Oz book series under the pen name Gabriel Gale. “George approached Winnie and me for this, and we were very taken with the story he wants to tell."

The Ozma film will be a direct adaptation of the original Baum source material, rather than a reimagining like in Gregory Maguire's Wicked (on which Schwartz's musical is based). Said Schwartz, “Full marks to Gregory, because telling the Oz story from the Wicked Witch's point of view was a genius idea. And I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to take a ride on that idea that Gregory had. But Baum's Oz world is very rich also, and he had some very interesting stories that he told subsequent to that first book, and that's what we're playing around with now. This is more a direct adaptation of what Baum wrote, although it has its own spin—but it's based on The Marvelous Land of Oz, and is tentatively titled Ozma.”

How thrillifying! We cannot wait to see this project come to fruition.