Mila Kunis has been a name and voiced recognised around the world for her role as the plain and put upon Med Griffin in Fox animated sitcom, Family Guy and in spite of a number of mid-sized film and TV roles, she was not propelled into the upper-echelons of the Hollywood elite until her turn as the sinister, Sapphic doppelganger in Darren Aronofskys psycho-sexual opus, Black Swan. Subsequently she has fully embraced her new sex symbol image, first with Friends With Benefits-the sort of fuck buddy comedy that has suddenly come into vogue- and now
after meeting for the role a while back,
Variety have announced that she will feature in
Sam Raimis much anticipated
Oz, The Great and Powerful alongside her Date Night co-star
James Franco as the titular Oz. Kunis will play Theodora - a witch who becomes malevolent (i.e. The Wicked Witch of the West) after Oz rejects her sexual advances which, in the context of the history of the Oz legend as a film for children, appears on the surface to be wholly inappropriate. Whether it is or not, Raimi will have his work cut out for him in emulating both the dark and deeply underrated Return to Oz, as well as the Judy Garland original which is among the most watched and iconic in Hollywood history. Theodora is the younger of the three witches vying for the control of Oz and Variety say
Olivia Wilde, Amy Adams, Kate Beckinsale, Keira Knightley and
Rebecca Hall are all being considered for the other two sisters. Trades say;
Kunis will co-star opposite James Franco, who portrays a fast-talking snake oil salesman and illusionist who flees a traveling circus and winds up whisked away in a hot air balloon by a tornado to Oz where he must face off against real magic and the sisters battling for control of the land. Theodora starts out as a good witch, alongside her beautiful sister Glinda, but after her sexual advances are jilted by Francos salesman, shes convinced by Evanora to switch sides and help her older sister rule Oz.