You know the ending. Dorothy wakes up in Kansas, looks at Aunt Em, and says those famous words: "There's no place like home."
The credits roll. We all assume that was it. But honestly? Hollywood has been trying to get back to the Emerald City for nearly a century, and the results have been, well, weird. If you think the 1939 classic is the only word on Oz, you've missed out on a massive, trippy, and sometimes terrifying collection of wizard of oz sequels movies that range from high-budget Disney spectacles to animated features starring Judy Garland’s own daughter.
L. Frank Baum actually wrote 14 Oz books. There is so much lore—Wheelers with wheels for hands, a Princess who swaps her head like we change hats, and a Clockwork Man named Tik-Tok. Most people never see this side of Oz because the 1939 film looms so large. But the sequels exist. And some of them are genuinely wild.
The 1985 Nightmare: Return to Oz
If you grew up in the 80s, you probably have trauma from a specific Disney movie. It’s called Return to Oz.
Disney didn’t want a musical. They wanted the "real" Oz from the books. They hired Walter Murch to direct, and he delivered something that felt more like a fever dream than a children's movie. Fairuza Balk, in her debut role as Dorothy, is sent to a doctor for electroshock therapy because she won't stop talking about a magical land.
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Yeah, it starts with electroshock.
Dorothy escapes, ends up back in Oz, but it’s a wasteland. The Yellow Brick Road is destroyed. Her old friends are turned to stone. The villains? The Nome King and Princess Mombi. Mombi is the one who keeps a hallway of severed heads and picks which one to wear based on her mood. It’s a masterpiece of practical effects and Claymation by Will Vinton, but it absolutely bombed at the box office.
- Budget: $27 million
- Box Office: $11.1 million
- Legacy: A massive cult following for being "book-accurate."
It wasn't a "sequel" in the legal sense to the MGM movie because of rights issues, but it’s the most famous attempt to continue the story.
The Liza Minnelli Connection: Journey Back to Oz
Basically nobody talks about this one, which is crazy considering the cast. In the early 70s (though production started in the 60s), an animated sequel called Journey Back to Oz was released.
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The voice of Dorothy? Liza Minnelli. The daughter of Judy Garland literally stepped into her mother’s ruby slippers—except in this movie, they were silver, which is how they appeared in Baum’s original book. It features Mickey Rooney as the Scarecrow and Ethel Merman as Mombi. It’s a much lighter, more traditional "kinda-sorta" sequel than the 1985 version, but it languished in "production hell" for years. If you can find a copy, it’s a fascinating piece of Hollywood history simply because of the mother-daughter legacy.
The Modern Era and the Prequel Problem
When people search for wizard of oz sequels movies today, they usually stumble onto Oz the Great and Powerful (2013).
Technically, it’s a prequel. Directed by Sam Raimi—the guy who did the original Spider-Man trilogy—it stars James Franco as the Wizard. Disney had to be incredibly careful here. They didn't own the rights to the 1939 film's specific "look."
They couldn't use the exact shade of green for the Witch's skin. They couldn't use the Ruby Slippers. They even had to change the shape of the Emerald City. Despite the legal tightrope, it made nearly $500 million. It’s glossy and CGI-heavy, which feels the opposite of the 1985 version's grit.
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Then you have the independent stuff. Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014) was a 3D animated attempt with Lea Michele voicing Dorothy. It was a massive financial disaster, losing roughly $60 million. It’s a tough road. People want Oz, but they want their Oz.
Notable Oz Spin-offs and Reimagings
- The Wiz (1978): An urban fantasy reimagining with Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. It’s a classic in its own right, moving the setting to a magical version of New York City.
- Tin Man (2007): A Syfy channel miniseries starring Zooey Deschanel. It treats Oz as the "Outer Zone" and leans hard into steampunk vibes.
- Wicked (2024/2025): The massive cinematic adaptation of the Broadway musical. It’s technically a "parallel" story, focusing on Elphaba and Glinda before Dorothy arrives.
The Future: Greta Gerwig and Beyond
Rumors and "concept trailers" circulate constantly, but the big news for 2026 is the growing buzz around a potential Warner Bros. reimagining. While some fan wikis claim a Greta Gerwig-directed version starring Sophia Lillis is imminent, it’s important to separate "fan-casting" from greenlit productions.
What is real is that Oz is in the public domain. Anyone can make an Oz movie. However, nobody can copy the 1939 MGM movie’s specific elements—like the Ruby Slippers—without permission from Warner Bros. That’s why these wizard of oz sequels movies always feel a little "off" or different from the one we grew up with.
How to Navigate the Oz Sequels
If you want to dive into these films, don't expect a linear timeline. There isn't a "Cinematic Universe" here. It's a collection of different artists trying to capture lightning in a bottle.
- Watch Return to Oz (1985) if you want a dark, faithful adaptation of the books The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz.
- Seek out The Wiz if you want incredible music and a completely different visual style.
- Check out Tin Man if you like "gritty" sci-fi reboots of fairy tales.
- Avoid the low-budget animated knockoffs that often populate streaming services; they usually lack the heart of the source material.
The reality is that Dorothy Gale's story never really ended in 1939. Whether she's fighting the Nome King in a terrifying 80s landscape or flying through a CGI Oz with James Franco, the character keeps returning to that Yellow Brick Road. Each sequel is a reflection of the era it was made in—from the experimental 70s to the dark 80s and the blockbuster 2010s.
Start with Return to Oz. It's the most "human" and hand-crafted of the bunch. Just keep the lights on for the part with the heads. Seriously.