The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a 1900 children's novel written by American author L. Frank Baum. Since its first publication in 1900, it has been adapted many times by L. Frank Baum and others: for film, television, theatre, books, comics, games, and other media.
Baum was responsible for many early adaptations, including the 1902 musical The Wizard of Oz, which was an enormous success on Broadway. The casting of comedians Fred Stone as the Scarecrow and David C. Montgomery as the Tin Woodman was especially praised. Baum featured the two characters in his second Oz book, The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904), with the hopes of turning that into a stage play as well, with Stone and Montgomery in the lead roles. When the two actors declined to participate, Baum rewrote the story as The Woggle-Bug in 1905, which was a critical and commercial failure.
Following this, Baum was responsible for several more adaptations of the Oz series. His 1906 multimedia presentation, The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays, toured for two months. A further musical, The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, was staged in 1913. Baum also began a short-lived film company, The Oz Manufacturing Company, and released three short films, beginning with The Patchwork Girl of Oz in 1914.
The most celebrated adaptation of the Oz books is the 1939 feature-length musical starring Judy Garland, which has been hailed as the most-seen film in history. Other notable film adaptations include The Wiz (1978), Return to Oz (1985), and Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). Another acclaimed production is the 2003 Broadway and West End musical Wicked, based on the 1995 revisionist novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. The musical itself has since been adapted into a successful two-part film.
Visual arts English language Films Name Format Original Release Date Short summary The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays Live-action September 24, 1908 Multimedia presentation made by L. Frank Baum which featured the young silent film actress Romola Remus. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Live-action March 24, 1910 15-minute 1910 film, based on the 1902 stage musical, directed by Otis Turner, and may have featured Bebe Daniels as Dorothy. It was followed by three now-lost films also directed by Turner: Dorothy and the Scarecrow in Oz, The Land of Oz, and John Dough and the Cherub, based on another Baum novel of the same name. The Patchwork Girl of Oz Live-action August 6, 1914 This is an adaptation produced by Baum's live-action motion picture company, The Oz Film Manufacturing Company. It follows the adventures of Ojo, Unc Nunkie, and Patchwork Girl in their quest for the ingredients needed for a magic potion. The film is partially lost due to a missing scene early in the film. His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz Live-action October 14, 1914 This is an adaptation by Baum via the Oz Film Manufacturing Company that became the basis for the book The Scarecrow of Oz. The Magic Cloak of Oz Live-action September 28, 1914 Another 1914 adaptation in the series produced by Baum himself via The Oz Film Manufacturing Company. It follows the story of Fluff, the unhappiest person in Oz, and a magic cloak fairies devised for him to grant her one wish. The Wizard of Oz Live-action April 13, 1925 Directed by Larry Semon in collaboration with Frank Joslyn Baum and featuring a young Oliver Hardy. The Wizard of Oz Animation June 19, 1933 Animated short film directed by Ted Eshbaugh. The Wizard of Oz Animation c. 1937/1938 (unreleased) Animator Kenneth McLellan's efforts to produce a series of animated shorts after a contractual agreement with Maud Gage Baum. The shorts were ultimately not made, due to insufficient financial backing. The Wizard of Oz Live-action August 25, 1939 The 1939 musical film by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Victor Fleming and starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Margaret Hamilton, and Frank Morgan. It is the story's best-known adaptation and the version about which most cultural references to the story are based. The Wizard of Mars Live-action 1965 Low budget science fiction film takeoff of L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz co-written and directed by stage magician David L. Hewitt. The Wonderful Land of Oz Live-action October 31, 1969 A low-budget children's film adaptation of The Marvelous Land of Oz directed by Barry Mahon. Journey Back to Oz Animation December 14, 1972 Begun in 1962, finished in 1971 and eventually released between 1972 and 1974. It features Liza Minnelli, the daughter of Judy Garland, as the voice of Dorothy. The Wiz Live-action October 24, 1978 Directed by Sidney Lumet starring Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, based on the Broadway musical of the same name. Return to Oz Live-action June 21, 1985 A 1985 film by Walt Disney Pictures, directed by Walter Murch and starring Fairuza Balk as Dorothy. Dorothy Meets Ozma of Oz Animation November 18, 1987 Direct-to-video animated film produced by Kushner-Locke.The Wizard of Oz Animation 1991Direct-to-video animated film produced by American Film Investment Corporation. Apocalypse Oz Live-action 2006 short film parody of The Wizard of Oz and Apocalypse Now.The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's Animation 2007 37th installment in the Veggietales direct-to-video series. Adapts The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with elements from the Parable of the Prodigal Son. After the Wizard Live-action July 2, 2011 Independent film as a modern-day semi-sequel to the story. Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz Animation August 23, 2011 This is a Tom and Jerry direct-to-video film based on the 1939 film which first appeared on Cartoon Network on August 13, 2011. It was followed by a sequel, Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz, released June 21, 2016. Dorothy and the Witches of Oz Live-action February 17, 2012 Edited together out of the 2011 miniseries Witches of Oz (see below under "Television"). The film version removed about an hour of footage and updated the visual effects. Oz the Great and Powerful Live-action March 8, 2013 2013 film by Walt Disney Pictures, directed by Sam Raimi and starring James Franco, Michelle Williams and Mila Kunis. Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return Animation May 9, 2014 CGI animated musical adaptation of Dorothy of Oz by Roger S. Baum and stars Lea Michele. OzLand Live-action September 4, 2014 Independent fantasy/sci-fi drama film inspired by characters and events from the book, which plays a crucial role.Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz Animation June 21, 2016Direct-to-video film, sequel to Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz. The Steam Engines of Oz Animation June 5, 2018 Canadian Animated film directed by Sean O'Reilly which is produced by Arcana Studio. It tells the story of Oz a hundred years later and features new characters as well as old ones. Wicked Live-action November 22, 2024 Feature-length adaptation of the first act of the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, loosely based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire. The Wizard of Oz at Sphere Live-action August 28, 2025 Immersive 4D version of the 1939 film created specifically to be screened at Sphere in the Las Vegas Valley on the venue's 160,000 square-foot video screen at 16K resolution. Wicked: For Good Live-action November 21, 2025 Sequel to Wicked (2024), adapting the stage musical's second act. Gale: Yellow Brick Road Live-action February 11, 2026 Horror version of the adaptation. Untitled Wicked spinoff film Live-action TBA Spinoff of the film based on the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, loosely based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire.
International films Name Format Original Release Date Short summary Fantasía... 3 Anthology 1966 A Spanish anthology film using a portion of Baum's original novel in one of its sequences. The Wizard of Oz Live-action 1967 A black and white Soviet adaptation. While borrowing some elements from Alexander Volkov's retelling, it is considered an adaptation of Baum's book and is titled accordingly Ayşecik ve Sihirli Cüceler Rüyalar Ülkesinde Live-action 1971 A Turkish film directed by Tunç Başaran and known to bootleggers as "The Turkish Wizard of Oz". The Wizard of Oz Animation July 1, 1982 Anime adaptation of the story produced by Toho in 1982 and directed by Fumihiko Takayama, with music by Joe Hisaishi. The English version of the movie stars Aileen Quinn as the voice of Dorothy and Lorne Greene as the Wizard. Original songs are sung by Aileen Quinn in the English version, with lyrics by Sammy Cahn and Allen Byrnes. In the U.S., it was released on video and syndicated to local television stations. World Famous Fairy Tale Series Animation February 1983 Anime series of short films produced by Toei Animation. Os Trapalhões e o Mágico de Oróz Live-action June 21, 1984 Brazilian parody of Wizard of the Oz.W krainie czarnoksiężnika Oza Animation c. 1988Polish series of theatrical shorts adapting The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Marvelous Land of Oz, produced by Se-ma-for and starring as voice of the Dorothy and Piotr Fronczewski as the voice of Scarecrow.Mamo, czy kury potrafią mówić? Live-action/Animation July 10, 1998 Polish loose adaptation of Ozma of Oz produced by Se-ma-for and starring Leon Niemczyk as voice of Awidor. Guardians of Oz Animation April 10, 2015 Mexican-Indian 3D computer-animated adventure film directed by Alberto Mar. It features an original story and new characters. The Wizard of the Emerald City Live-action January 1, 2025 Screen adaptation of the 1939 children's novel of the same name by the Soviet writer Alexander Melentyevich Volkov, based on a reworking of Baum's novel.
Theatre In addition to his books, Baum also wrote Oz-related stage plays: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1901) with music by Paul Tietjens and Nathaniel D. Mann, The Wizard of Oz (1902) (music by Tietjens et al.; with jokes by Glen MacDonough), The Woggle-Bug (1905) with music by Frederick Chapin, The Rainbow's Daughter, or The Magnet of Love (February 1909) with music by Manuel Klein, revised in April 1909 as Ozma of Oz, and ultimately produced, with music by Louis F. Gottschalk as The Tik-Tok Man of Oz. Also in 1909, he wrote a play called The Girl from Oz. The manuscript is held in the archives at Syracuse University, but apparently its relation to Oz is little more than nominal (it is also known as The Girl from Tomorrow and was later adapted for radio by Frank Joslyn Baum), as is also the case with the short story, "The Littlest Giant", a rather brutal tale designated in two lines to be in the Gillikin country of Oz. With Gottschalk writing the music, he wrote an unproduced stage version of The Patchwork Girl of Oz in November 1913, that was developed into the film scenario.