Director Robert Zemeckis won’t be helming the proposed live-action ‘Wizard of Oz’ remake after all, Slashfilm.com is reporting. The news comes just a couple of days after rumors started circulating that Warner Bros. was eying Zemeckis for the job.

The movie, which is believed to be a shot-for-shot remake like Gus Van Sant’s 1998 reworking of ‘Psycho,’ is still in its preliminary stages. But Warner Bros. hopes to start shooting soon, as it plans on working off of the original 1939 script. However, it has competition from the new Disney film ‘The Great and Powerful Oz,’ which Sam Raimi has reportedly signed on to direct. Robert Downey, Jr. has also reportedly signed on to star.

Zemeckis is no stranger to remakes, however, as he’s currently working on Disney’s updated version of ‘Yellow Submarine.’ He also has another project tentatively lined up, as Warner Bros. has also expressed interest in him directing its film ‘Timeless.’

Written by: Karen Benardello

The Wizard of Oz