Tim Burtonhas a long list of unmade projects, both movies and TV shows, and in the latter, there’s an adaptation of a Hollywood classic. Tim Burton has stood out from other filmmakers of his generation for his unique narrative and visual style. Burton mixes horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy, and he has given this unique touch to pre-existing stories, as well.
Tim Burton is best known for his movies, but he has also visited the world of TV a couple of times.Burton’s TV career began in 1983with an episode ofHansel and Gretel, followed by one episode ofAlfred Hitchcock Presents, an episode ofFaerie Tale Theatre, and one ofAmazing Stories.
In 1989, Burton developedtheBeetlejuiceanimated showand executive-produced the animated sitcomFamily Dog. In 2000,Burton almost visited the world ofThe Wizard of Ozwith a TV showhe was going to produce and had a story credit on, but unfortunately, this project never happened.
Tim Burton Was Set To Produce A Wizard Of Oz TV Show
Tim Burton Was On Board For Lost In Oz TV Show
While in between movie projects (Sleepy HollowandPlanet of the Apes, to be precise), Tim Burton visited the world of TV again. Burton was set to executive produce a TV series titledLost in Oz, based on the classic book seriesThe Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum. Of course,Lost in Ozwould have had some key changes and twists.
What’s known about Tim Burton’sLost in Ozis thatit would have followed a group of high schoolersand their teacher who are swept to the Land of Oz after being caught outside a gas station by a tornado. The group would have found themselves in an alternative version of Oz and would have had to find a way to return home.
The creatures found in Oz would have been very strange and psychedelic.
The pilot episode ofLost in Ozwas filmed, but the show ultimately didn’t go past that. What’s known about the pilot, aside from the above-mentioned plot details, is that the creatures found in Oz would have been very strange and psychedelic, which sounds very much like the type of creatures Burton usually adds to his works.
Why Tim Burton’s Lost In Oz Never Happened
Lost In Oz Joined Tim Burton’s List Of Unmade Projects
The concept forLost in Ozmight sound weird, but then again, as a Tim Burton project, it actually makes sense. Seeing what Burton could have brought to the world ofThe Wizard of Ozin terms of story and visuals would have been very interesting and potentially successful (supposing it would have been better than his divisive take onAlice in Wonderland).
However, Burton’sLost in Ozonly got as far as filming its pilot episode, which has never been released.Lost in Oz reportedly didn’t happen due to budget constraints, and just by looking at the pilot’s story and the type of creatures it would have featured, it’s understandable that it was a very expensive project.
An Animated Lost In Oz TV Show Was Released In 2017
Lost In Oz Is Unrelated To Tim Burton’s Cancelled TV Show
Tim Burton’sLost in Oznever happened, and all that there is of it is a photo of its cast, buttheWizard of Ozfranchisegot aLost in Oz TVshow years later.Released on Amazon Prime Video in 2017,Lost in Oztells the story of Dorothy Gale(voiced by Ashley Boettcher), who is swept to the Land of Oz.
The pilot episode was later re-released asLost in Oz: Extended Adventure, and it combined the series’ first three episodes.
Lost in Ozisn’t linked to the 1939 movie, and, instead, it’s an animated adaptation of Baum’sThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz.Lost in Oz, as it was whileTim Burtonwas involved, hasn’t been picked up, and there doesn’t seem to be any hope for its future, so it’s up to fans to imagine what it could have been like.
