The 8 Best ‘Wizard of Oz’ Adaptations, Ranked

L. Frank Baum could never have imagined the impact his story about a little girl from Kansas traveling to a magical land would have. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and its subsequent 13 novels, took the world by cyclone storm in the early 1900s, and we've been obsessed with the Land of Oz ever since.

Almost as soon as the books were published, people began making adaptations, both in film and theater. IMDb lists 31 different movies and TV series that took Baum's books and made them their own. Only a few were successful at capturing our hearts, though. Here are eight of the top Wizard of Oz adaptations, ranked from worst to best.

8. The Wizard of Oz (1925)

The 1925 silent film, The Wizard of Oz, became the highlight of filmmaker Larry Semon's career, which is rather telling, since some have dubbed it the worst silent film in history. The plot jumps around, it's full of nonsensical slapstick comedy, there is very little character development, but it does have plenty of sexual harassment and offensive racial stereotypes.

The story follows the leaders of Oz looking for the rightful heir to the throne. Dorothy (Dorothy Dwan) is that heir, but she was given to Aunt Em and Uncle Henry as a baby. Dorothy and the farmhands who work for Uncle Henry get caught in a twister that sends them to Oz. It feels like it would be one of the films the janitor was forced to watch on Mystery Science Theater 3000, meaning that if you must watch it, only watch it as a movie riff.

7. Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)

Oz the Great and Powerful was not Disney's first attempt at the world of Oz, but it was the attempt that fell flat. While the visuals were interesting and bright, the plot and acting didn't quite capture the necessary magic. It was, all in all, a very forgettable film that left many wishing it had just been a dream all along.

Oscar (James Franco) is a con man who ends up in Oz when his hot air balloon is caught up in a tornado. The witch, Theodora (Mila Kunis), believes Oscar is the answer to a prophecy that will save Oz from the Wicked Witch. Through a lot of overcomplicated twists, Oscar becomes the Wizard Oz needs, even if it deserves better. Richard Roeper of "Ebert and Roeper" gave it 2.5 out of 4 stars, which might seem harsh to some but generous to others.

6. Return to Oz (1985)

In 1985, Disney decided to create a kind of sequel to the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, but thought to add enough of the Baum books' more creepy aspects to traumatize children for generations. Return to Oz did become a cult classic due to its faithful adaptation to the second and third books in Baum's Oz series, and ironically, its horror elements.

Dorothy (Fairuza Balk) escapes the mental asylum that her aunt and uncle sent her to after she kept discussing Oz. She makes it back to Oz to find that the land has been taken over by an evil king, and must find and save her friends, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion. It stays true to the books, for good or ill, and creates one of the "darkest children's films ever made."

5. Tin Man (2007)

Another darker adaptation of The Wizard of Oz comes from SYFY (Sci-Fi Channel). Tin Man was a mini-series with a science fiction twist to the story of Dorothy in Oz. With violence, profanity, and some suggestive scenes, this series was not meant for kids. But adults who loved other SYFY series and The Wizard of Oz found it highly entertaining.

DG (Zooey Deschanel) was just a waitress in Kansas when she got transported to the O.Z. (Outer Zone). She learns that her parents are actually androids and that she is a princess of the O.Z. DG must face her evil sister, Azkadellia (Kathleen Robertson), with the help of the friends she makes on her journey. It has a solid seven out of 10 on IMDb and a 76% Rotten Tomatoes audience score.

4. The Wiz (1978)

The Wiz is a modern re-telling of The Wizard of Oz with an all-Black cast and music filled with much more soul. The Broadway musical was a Tony Award-winning hit, which they tried to reproduce on the big screen. While it didn't translate from stage to screen as successfully, The Wiz has become a beloved cult classic, especially within the Black community, who finally had a Dorothy "[they] could relate to."

Dorothy (Diana Ross) is a 24-year-old schoolteacher who shares an apartment with her aunt and uncle in Harlem. When she's whisked to Oz in a snow cyclone, she discovers an urban fantasy land where the Scarecrow (Michael Jackson) is made of garbage instead of straw and the Tin Man (Nipsey Russell) is found in an abandoned amusement park. The music and the star-studded cast make The Wiz a fun ride, whether or not critics agree.

3. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1986-1987)

One of the more faithful adaptations, and one that truly captured the whimsy of Baum's world, is the Japanese anime, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This series, titled Ozu no Mahōtsukai in Japan, covered four of Baum's books: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Marvelous Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz, and The Emerald City of Oz.

Fans of the original novels love that more of the story is adapted in the anime, and whether in the original Japanese or the English dub, it holds a place in the hearts of many '80s kids. IMDb gives it a score of 7.7, one of the highest ratings of any of these adaptations. It's unfortunate that it gets forgotten because The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is one of the most successful adaptations in recreating L. Frank Baum's magical vision.

2. Wicked and Wicked: For Good (2024, 2025)

When made into a movie, the musical Wicked was split into two parts. But Wicked and Wicked: For Good are both needed when considering their rankings as Wizard of Oz adaptations. So, for this list, they both rate the same. Wicked gave the most incredible music and plot, while Wicked: For Good had the essential tie-ins to Baum's source material.

Wicked tells the prequel story to The Wizard of Oz, where the Wicked Witch of the West was not evil but misunderstood. The witch, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), was once friends with Galinda the Good Witch (Ariana Grande), and she honestly tries to make Oz a better place. But no good deed goes unpunished, and Elphaba is labeled unfairly as wicked. The brilliant cast, the beltworthy music, the stunning designs, and all the Easter eggs from the 1939 film make both parts of Wicked a spectacular visit to Oz.

1. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Is the 1939 The Wizard of Oz the most faithful of adaptations? No, but it’s still widely considered the best because of its enduring legacy. There are very few people who do not immediately picture Judy Garland as Dorothy, or hear "Over the Rainbow," when The Wizard of Oz is mentioned.

The Wizard of Oz is a cinematic masterpiece that has gone down in history as the most influential film of all time. It has a 98% Rotten Tomatoes score. The cast and crew worked themselves to the bone to create real art, and it shows. The Wizard of Oz is a timeless tale thanks to this adaptation.

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