Every filmmaker has a dream project they someday hope to make, and for Justin Simien, it’s a surprising choice. During the Directors on Directing panel at last week’s San Diego Comic-Con, the director revealed that it is his ambition to one day make a remake of The Wiz: the 1978 Sidney Lumet film that was itself a remake of The Wizard Of Oz starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, and Nipsey Russell. He said on stage that it was the first movie he saw and he wants to bring his own version to the big screen, and he further explained why that is when I sat down with him for an interview later that afternoon.
Curious about his passion for The Wiz, I asked about it as my first question to the Haunted Mansion director – wondering why he would want to remake a movie that he cherishes so deeply. He told me that while it’s a film that he loves and has deeply inspired his work, he also recognizes that it’s not exactly a perfect cinematic experience and one that has remained flawless in his eyes from childhood to adulthood. Said Simien,
