Johnny Depp Negotiating To Replace Robert Downey Jr. In Sam Raimi’s Oz Film
When Oz The Great and Powerful was called Brick and it was written by Mitchell Kapner the script was… needing work. Since then, Sam Raimi has come on board and appointed Rabbit Hole‘s David Lindsay Abaire to do rewrites. All the while, Robert Downey Jr. has been attached to star in the lead role of a travelling huckster and illusionist who gets transported to Oz, faces off against a pair of evil witches and ends up becoming the great and powerful wizard who went and hid behind a curtain.
But now, as the film is moving closer and closer to it’s expected production window, Downey has dropped out. This could have easily spelled the end of the project, seeing as Downey was the most marketable “name” player involved, and the longest attached. However, The Hollywood Reporter have word that Johnny Depp is in negotiations to take over the role – and suddenly, the potential for crazy dollars is even greater.
If Depp does sign on, this could interfere with the schedule of The Lone Ranger and postpone in noticably. Both films are with Disney, however, and seeing as they’re already brokering a deal with Depp, I’d imagine they’re okay with that.