Today’s Movie Trailer: Sam Raimi’s Oz: The Great and Powerful

Go somewhere over the rainbow with James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams in the Oz prequel—in theaters March 2013

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy2fJsCkUn4]

Dorothy Gale may be the star of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but the Wizard himself, a fellow Kansan, also has a tornado-to-Oz journey worth sharing. Oz: The Great and Powerful, a prequel to L. Frank Baum’s novel, tells the story of Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-town magician dreaming of greatness and a life somewhere over the rainbow. Cue a tornado, which takes him away from his black-and-white world to a land of color—a nostalgic nod to the 1939 film.

The film, directed by Sam Raimi (Spider-Man trilogy), looks magical—complete with Emerald City, munchkins and flying monkeys (which look even more terrifying than those in the original film). The trailer shows Oscar meeting three witches: Theodora (Mila Kunis), who calls herself the good witch, her sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams). They have been waiting for “the great wizard from Kansas” to defeat the Wicked Witch, who has been wreaking havoc in Oz and destroying lives. Oz needs a leader—and Oscar is its wizard.

MORE: Top 10 Most Beloved Wizards