Emerald City appears to be a Wizard of Oz take-off. Dorothy (Adria Arjona) wants more from life. The teasers shown on television show her in the middle of a tornado as she hops into a police car. It seems as if all of our new magical humans are involved in law enforcement - i.e. Once Upon A Time's Emma. Of course, Dorothy ends up in Oz, although I think the presentation of how she actually ends up in Oz has been modernized. She still kills a witch- but with the police car and not a house. The witch still has sisters and Dorothy still lands in a land with strangers. Not munchkins, of course, but a people that make me think Game of Thrones.
The Great Oz has been played by many actors in the past. Casting directors of Emerald City have cast Vincent D'Onofrio as the ruler of the kingdom. D'Onofrio's character has outlawed magic and seems to be a frightful ruler. In one of the trailers, it's clear that Dorothy has magical powers- and that she has no idea she possessed them - how she will use them will have to be seen. The character seems to have some depth to her. I look forward to seeing how the writers have developed Dorothy into a woman that we can relate to in today's times.
Despite the story being remade time and time again, the show looks like it has teeth- using the basic plot but bringing both the characters and conflicts into modern times. Emerald City could be just another modern remake of The Wizard of Oz, but it seems to bring the Harry Potter meets Game of Thrones aspect to the television. The music set behind the trailers is powerful - reminiscent of a big battle- certainly not the sweet sounds of Over the Rainbow.
Emerald City premieres January 6, 2017, on NBC. Watch it and come back and post your comments here. It looks like it's going to be a bumpy ride- one that we may not want to get off anytime soon.
