Not so long ago, in a story about Sam Mendes, Robert Downey Jr, and Oz the Great and Powerful, we listed all the Wizard of Oz projects currently bubbling away at various stages of development. There's now yet another potential guest at the party. Drew Barrymore, according to the folks at Pajiba, will be following Whip It! with Oz sequel Surrender Dorothy.
The script, as originally prepped, was by Zach Helm (Stranger Than Fiction), but with **Surrender Dorothy **being set up at Warners (by Barrymore's Flower Films), which is also the home of a similar-sounding pitch by Josh Olsen, it's not unreasonable to wonder whether the two projects will somehow be merged.
Whatever: the general idea is that Dorothy's great-great-granddaughter has to learn to wield the power of the ruby slippers to protect both Oz and our own world from the Wicked Witch of the West. A version of the film was under development a few years ago with Barrymore set to star. This time she's attached to direct, and there's no hint yet as to whether she also intends to step in front of the camera, as Dorothy Jr, or anyone else. Pajiba suggest a re-teaming with Ellen Page. Or perhaps they could import one of the other ingredients of Whip It's immensely fun plot and have all fight scenes take place on roller-skates. You know you'd watch it!