Drew Barrymore has been commissioned to direct the buzzed-about upcoming sequel to the 1939 cinema classic The Wizard of Oz.
The beloved ex-child star made her directorial debut in the 2009 roller derby flick Whip It. Now she’s set to step behind the camera once again for Warner Bros.’ box office-bound fantasy epic Surrender Dorothy, London’s Daily Telegraph dished on Wednesday.
The movie follows the great, great granddaughter of Dorothy who has to learn how to use the power of her ruby red slippers to keep The Wicked Witch of the West from taking control of Earth and Oz. Based on a script by Zach Helm, Drew was originally set to star in the project before it was shelved by studio bosses in 2002. Robert Downey Jr. is among the stars being courted for the Oz update.
The Yellow Brick Road isn’t the only cinema staple being reimagined for the modern-day silver screen. On Tuesday, Deadline.com reported that Disney plopped down a massive seven figures for a new, live-action remake of Cinderella, written by The Devil Wears Prada scriptwriter Aline Brosh McKenna.