The Wiz is a 1978 musical film produced by Motown Productions and Universal Pictures, and released by Universal on October 24, 1978. An urbanized retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz featuring an entirely African-American cast, The Wiz was adapted from the 1975 Broadway musical of the same name. The film follows the adventures of Dorothy, a shy Harlem, New York schoolteacher who finds herself magically transported to the Land of Oz, which resembles a fantasy version of New York City. Befriended by a Scarecrow, a Tin Man, and a Cowardly Lion, she travels through the land to... seek an audience with the mysterious "Wiz", who they say has the power to take her home. Produced by Rob Cohen and directed by Sidney Lumet, The Wiz stars Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Mabel King, Theresa Merritt, Thelma Carpenter, Lena Horne, and Richard Pryor. The film's story was reworked from William F. Brown's Broadway libretto by Joel Schumacher, and Quincy Jones supervised the adaptation of Charlie Smalls and Luther Vandross's songs for film.
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| Release date: | October 24, 1978 |
| Directed by: | Sidney Lumet |
| Rated: |  |
| Runtime: | 134 Minutes |
| Producer: | Rob Cohen |
| Editor: | Dede Allen |
| Music by: | Charlie Smalls |
| Cinematography: | Oswald Morris |
| Screenplay by: | Joel Schumacher |
| Estimated budget: | $24,000,000 |
| Adapted from: | The Wiz |
| Genre: | Fantasy, Adventure, Musical |