Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne will portray Wizard of Oz author L Frank Baum in a new biopic of the prolific children’s fantasy author, reports The Tracking Board.
The film, titled Road to Oz, is based on a much-hyped screenplay by newcomer Josh Golden which was bought by studio New Line last year.
It centres on Baum’s early life and the development of his hit 1900 novel, originally titled The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which was partly inspired by the author’s sickly niece Dorothy.
Redmayne recently won the starring role in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and will appear as the pioneering transgender artist Lili Elbe in the upcoming Tom Hooper period drama The Danish Girl.
The British actor was catapulted into the spotlight after winning the best actor Oscar in February for his role as the theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking in the biopic The Theory of Everything.
Born in 1856 into a rich New York Methodist family, Baum had a highly colourful life. After early forays into the theatre, and as the author of a book about his youthful interest in fancy poultry breeding, he moved west to the territory which would eventually become known as South Dakota in 1888, working as a store owner and later newspaper editor. During this period Baum wrote a controversial piece calling for the wholesale extermination of the Native American peoples from the US, though some believe his article may have been designed as a Swiftian satire designed to inspire sympathy for its subject.
Baum and his wife, the feminist and suffragist Maud Gage Baum, later moved to Chicago where they finally found financial security from the author’s literary endeavours. The novelist wrote 13 sequels to his popular book, which was adapted for the iconic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland.
Golden’s screenplay has been named on Hollywood spec screenplay rundowns the Hit List and the Young and Hungry List, and was instrumental in its author being nominated for the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ prestigious Nicholl Fellowship for new screenwriting talent in 2014. Redmayne’s involvement suggests New Line will be looking for a high-profile filmmaker to take charge of the Oscar-bait project.
Previous films about famous literary figures which have found themselves part of the awards season conversation include 2004’s Finding Neverland, about Peter Pan creator JM Barrie, and 2013’s Saving Mr Banks, about Mary Poppins author PL Travers and her battles with Walt Disney over the famous film version of her children’s novel.
