Kenya Barris has updated fans about how he’s putting his stamp on the classic film The Wizard of Oz. He also gave updates on his reboot of It’s A Wonderful Life and his biopic series about comedian Richard Pryor.
Barris revealed at the Variety Studio during the Sundance Film Festival that he is working on a revamp of The Wizard of Oz. It doesn’t seem to be a reboot of 1970s remake The Wiz, so fans of the Diana Ross and Michael Jackson classic don’t have to worry about their favorite film being tampered with. However, fans of the 1940s iconic film starring Judy Garland need to pay close attention.
Barris said that his script for The Wizard of Oz is finished and places Dorothy living the Bottoms, an Inglewood, CA apartment complex that is also known for its severe gang violence. Barris seemingly set the story in the Bottoms to give a new version of Dorothy’s wish for a different life.
“The original Wizard of Oz took place during the Great Depression and it was about self-reliance and what people are going through,” he said. “I think this is the perfect time to switch the characters and talk about what someone imagines their life could be. It’s ultimately a hero’s journey, someone thinks something’s better than were they’re at, and they go and realize that where they’re at is where they should be.”
“I want people to be proud and happy about where they’re from,” he continued. “But I want the world to take a look at it and I hope that will come through.”
Regrading his Pryor biopic, Barris told Variety that the series will be comprised of 10 parts and will follow Pryor “from cradle to grave.”
“From the earliest upbringing–he grew up in a ho house, or a house of ill repute–and became, at one point, the biggest star in the world,” he said. “It is my baby. I love it. He is my comedy god. A super flawed guy, but who everthing, to this day, the comedy that we remember–even including [Dave] Chappelle–is derivative of what he started. That honest, reflecting, observational look at what the world is and the differences between us that actually makes us more similar than we are apart. I think telling his story and letting people see things that they didn’t know about him is something that I’m super excited to bring to life.”
Regarding his version of It’s a Wonderful Life–another classic that people might be touchy about seeing changed–Barris said that he wanted to bring his spin to the story to touch on some issues facing Black and brown communities.
“I feel like Christmas movies are amazing and I think the idea of taking something that has that long of a history and a tale behind it and putting an amazing piece of talent to tell that story,” he said. “It’s a guy who’s trying to help out his community and things are going to turn around on him. I think that’s the perfect story to tell for a person of color–Black or brown–to get into that because our communities have some issues and someone trying to help that community out. I thin kthat’s the perfect vehicle to tell that story from.”
Barris did address criticism about taking on existing films, saying, “I’m still a believer in IP. I think I get s–t for it sometimes but I believe that the idea of some of those great stories–stores are all told again and again and again. So having the opportunity to take some of those IPs and tell them from a different point of view is a gift that I hopefully keep getting.”
