Everyone remembers the red sequins and the yellow brick road, but when you talk about the Michael Jackson the Wizard of Oz movie, you're actually talking about a massive, expensive, and strangely beautiful gamble called The Wiz. It wasn't exactly a remake of the 1939 classic. Honestly, it was a reimagining of the 1975 Broadway smash, transported to a gritty, dreamlike version of New York City.
Michael wasn't the star at first. Diana Ross was. She fought hard for the role of Dorothy, even though she was well into her 30s at the time. Michael, meanwhile, was just 19. He was desperate to break away from the "Jackson 5" image. He wanted to be a movie star. He wanted to be taken seriously as an actor.
He played the Scarecrow.
It was a pivotal moment. If you look closely at his career, everything—from the choreography in Thriller to his obsession with cinematic visuals—started right here on the set of this 1978 film.
Why The Wiz Was a Massive Risk
The movie cost about $24 million. In 1978, that was a staggering amount of money, basically the equivalent of a $100 million blockbuster today. Universal Pictures and Motown Productions went all in. They hired Sidney Lumet to direct. Now, Lumet was a legend—the guy behind 12 Angry Men and Dog Day Afternoon. He was known for gritty, realistic dramas, not colorful musicals.
The production was enormous. They filmed at Astoria Studios in Queens and used the World Trade Center site for the Emerald City. It was a logistical nightmare.
Michael Jackson was the youngest person in the main cast. He was shy. He was quiet. But when the cameras rolled, he turned into something else entirely. Rob Cohen, the producer, often talked about how Michael was a "sponge." He would watch everyone. He studied the lighting. He studied the camera angles. He wasn't just playing a character; he was learning the business of film.
The Scarecrow and the Makeup
MJ’s transformation was grueling. Every single day, he spent hours in the makeup chair. The Scarecrow’s face was made of foam rubber and trash. Literally. The costume was stuffed with newspaper and old junk because, in this version of the story, the Scarecrow was a discarded creation found in a trash heap.
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Despite the heavy prosthetics, his performance was incredibly physical. He moved like he didn't have bones. This was the first time the world really saw Michael Jackson’s unique dance vocabulary on the big screen. He wasn't just doing the "Robot" or the "Moonwalk" yet; he was doing something more fluid and strange.
The Quincy Jones Connection
If there is one reason why the Michael Jackson the Wizard of Oz movie matters today, it’s because of a chance meeting on set.
Quincy Jones was the musical supervisor for The Wiz.
At the time, Michael was looking for a producer for his next solo album. He asked Quincy for recommendations. Quincy watched Michael work—saw his work ethic, his obsession with perfection, and his natural talent—and basically said, "I’ll do it."
That partnership led directly to Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad. Without the Scarecrow, we might never have gotten the King of Pop as we know him. It’s wild to think about. This "failure" of a movie (it bombed at the box office) actually created the foundation for the biggest music career in history.
The Music of the Urban Oz
The soundtrack is a mix of soul, R&B, and disco. "Ease on Down the Road" became a hit, but the real standout for Michael was "You Can't Win."
It’s a heartbreaking song if you listen to the lyrics. It’s about a character who is told he’ll never amount to anything. Michael sang it with a raw, desperate energy that felt very personal. Critics at the time were actually pretty kind to him. Even if they hated the movie—and many did—they almost all agreed that Michael Jackson was the best thing in it.
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He was electric.
The Critical Backlash and Cult Status
When The Wiz hit theaters, the reviews were brutal. Critics complained that Diana Ross was too old to play Dorothy. They said the sets were too dark and depressing. The movie only made back about half of its budget during its initial run.
But history has a funny way of fixing things.
Over the last few decades, The Wiz has become a massive cult classic. It’s celebrated as a landmark in Black cinema. The visuals, which were once called "weird," are now seen as visionary. The costume design by Tony Walton is legendary.
People don't just see it as a "Wizard of Oz" rip-off anymore. They see it as a distinct piece of art. It captured a very specific moment in New York history—the decay, the graffiti, the neon, and the soul of the late 70s.
Why MJ Stuck With It
Michael never really regretted the film. In his autobiography, Moonwalk, he spoke about the experience with a lot of affection. He loved the fantasy aspect of it. He loved being someone else.
Actually, the makeup was a shield for him. He was incredibly self-conscious about his appearance during those years. Being covered in foam and paint allowed him to be "bold" in a way he couldn't be as Michael Jackson.
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You can see that same DNA in his later short films like Ghosts or Moonwalker. He always wanted to be a character. He always wanted to live inside a fairy tale.
Facts Most People Forget About the Movie
- The Emerald City sequence: They used over 600 dancers and hundreds of extras. The "Green" to "Red" to "Gold" fashion show was meant to be the peak of 70s style.
- The Wiz himself: Richard Pryor played the Wizard. It’s a small, somewhat strange role, but having Pryor and Jackson in the same movie is a massive piece of pop culture history.
- The Poppy fields: In this version, the poppy fields are a "Poppy Pharmacy," a clever but dark nod to the drug culture of 70s NYC.
- The Length: The original cut was incredibly long. Lumet struggled to trim the musical numbers, which is why the movie feels a bit slow in the middle.
How to Appreciate The Wiz Today
If you’re going back to watch the Michael Jackson the Wizard of Oz movie now, you have to look past the 1970s special effects. Don't compare it to the Judy Garland version. They aren't trying to do the same thing.
Look at the choreography. Notice how Michael moves his shoulders and how he uses his eyes through all that makeup.
Listen to the orchestrations. Quincy Jones took Charlie Smalls' Broadway score and turned it into something sophisticated and cinematic.
It’s a flawed masterpiece. It’s bloated, it’s a little too long, and Diana Ross’s Dorothy is definitely more of an adult having a mid-life crisis than a girl from Kansas. But it has a heart that most modern blockbusters lack.
Practical Steps for Fans and Collectors
If you want to dive deeper into this specific era of Michael Jackson's career, there are a few things worth doing:
- Watch the "Making of" footage: There are several documentaries and behind-the-scenes clips available on YouTube and physical media releases that show MJ practicing his dance moves in the Scarecrow costume. It shows his grueling rehearsal process.
- Listen to the original Broadway cast recording: Compare it to the movie soundtrack. You’ll hear how Quincy Jones fundamentally changed the "vibe" of the music to fit Michael’s voice.
- Check out the Tony Walton sketches: The concept art for the urban Oz is widely available in design books. The level of detail in the "Subway" scene (with the snapping trash cans) is incredible.
- Read Moonwalk: Specifically the chapters covering 1977 and 1978. Michael describes his loneliness during the NYC shoot and how this movie was his "escape" from his family’s control.
The film is more than just a footnote. It’s the bridge between the child star of the 60s and the global icon of the 80s. Without the yellow brick road, there is no moonwalk.