The Amazing James Franco Doing 'OZ' and Back To 'General Hospital'
Sam Raimi’s "Oz The Great and Powerful" began filming on Monday, with James Franco playing "a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics" who is "hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz," where he meets "three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams)" -- for my money the most attractive group of spell-slingers since Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon costarred with Cher in "The Witches of Eastwick."
Mitchell Kapner (“The Whole Nine Yards”) and David Lindsay-Abaire (“Rabbit Hole”) wrote the script, and as Variety used to say, "all tech credits are pro:" Peter Deming (“Mulholland Dr.” “Drag Me to Hell”) is doing the cinematography; the production designer is Robert Stromberg (“Avatar”) and the editor is (“The Hurt Locker,” Raimi's “Spider-Man” trilogy).
But for Baltimoreans, the most intriguing detail may be that "Oz" is shooting "at the new Raleigh Michigan Studios, the 200,000 square foot sound stage facility in Pontiac, Michigan, once the location of General Motors’ Centerpoint business campus and truck manufacturing plant."
It's the kind of production site that can bring major films into a state no matter what the fluctuations in tax-incentive programs.
Let's hope that the next time film and TV production in Baltimore reaches the critical mass it had in the days of "Homicide" and "The Wire," studios, networks, and producers, and local businesses and the state, collaborate on this kind of building. If we had one a half-dozen years ago, we might not have lost the musical "Hairspray" to Toronto and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" to New Orleans.
Back To General Hospital
James Franco is adding one more thing to his busy list of things to do, but it’s something that was previously already on it. The handsome actor will be returning to General Hospital and he’s going to actually stay awhile!James’ rep tells TV Guide magazine that the actor will be back for his fourth time onGeneral Hospital on Sept 20. And this time he’s going to stick around!
Even though James has also added Broadway’s Sweet Bird of Youth with Nicole Kidman to his plate for the fall, his storyline in General Hospital is reportedly called “long-term.”
Looks like James may have to be making some long flights back and forth between Hollywood and New York!
In the show, James plays performance artist and serial killer Robert Frank who has a crush on hit man Jason Morgan. James’ character will be returning to town just as Jason is about to wed Sam McCall.
According to James’ rep, it’s Robert’s “most twisted plan yet.”
James made his General Hospital debut in 2009 and starred on the show for two months. He came last February for a two-day cameo and now it looks like he’ll be coming back again for some more
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