Hyde Park International has acquired international rights to Legends Of Oz: Dorothy’s Return. HPI president Eric Christenson will screen the project and introduce to buyers on the Croisette at the Festival de Cannes. As previously announced, it will also screen at the 2013 Annecy International Animation Festival and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will handle home entertainment in North America.

Read more at ScreenDaily

We are honored to announce that "Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return" has been chosen by the Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy (Annecy International Animation Festival) as an official selection and will have its world premiere at the largest animation film festival in France this June! 
Read more about the selection here: http://variety.com/2013/film/news/monsters-university-to-open-annecy-toon-fest-1200409769/

TGIF!

This week, I got to interview Ryan Carroll, the producer of the upcoming 3-D animated musical Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return, which was originally announced under the working title Dorothy of Oz, and is based on the book of the same name by Roger Stanton Baum.

You and your team have been working on this film for several years now. What do you think the biggest challenge has been?

    Yes, the animation process definitely takes some time! It's been very interesting and educational for us to learn all about the detail involved in the production process for animation, under the direction of Bonne Radford, Dan St. Pierre and Will Finn, who are some of the industry's top experts in this medium. We've spent a lot of time in the story process, making sure that the story is working well before we fully animate the characters and add all the special effects.  I would say the biggest challenge with an Oz film like this is making sure we stay true to the wonderful source material of the Baum family (both L. Frank and Roger Stanton), while making sure to update the story and look of film for a modern audience. Seeing the film near completion, I think we've done a great job with that balance.
You recently signed a distribution deal with Clarius Entertainment. How many theaters do you expect the movie will be shown in?

    We're thrilled about our partnership with Clarius. We don't know the exact number of theaters yet, but Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return will have a very wide release in the majority of theaters around the country, much like the other big studio animated films released each year.

Have you seen Disney's Oz the Great and Powerful or any other recent Oz-inspired films? What do you think will make Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return unique?

    Oz the Great and Powerful is a great and entertaining adaptation, and we were excited to see it do so well in the box office because it proves how many people love Oz, possibly now more than ever. I think what makes our film unique is that it plays very well to a young audience, and certainly the musical component. Music has always been a strong link with Oz projects and we felt it was important that this one contained lots of great new songs too.

Can you elaborate a bit more on the music and songs? How many songs are in the film?

    The songs in our film are a pivotal part of the story, as they both introduce the new characters, and help carry the characters through their adventure.  We couldn't have asked for a better musical crew, combining the extreme experience and talents of Bryan, Tift, Jim Dooley, Jim Vallance and Mike Himmelstein.  Added to that, we have some of the best vocal talents in the industry right now, such as Lea Michele (Dorothy), Megan Hilty (China Princess) and Martin Short (the Jester). All of them helped bring these already wonderful new songs to a new level. There are a total of seven brand new songs in the film, and a couple more in the end credits.

This film is based on Dorothy of Oz by Roger Stanton Baum. How has he been involved in the process?

    Roger's been a great partner on the film, and we feel lucky to have him as a great resource for all things Oz. We have consulted with him throughout the process, and we had a lot of fun including him on our panel with Patrick Stewart and Megan Hilty at the 2011 Comic-Con. He and his wife Charlene are a joy to work with in every way.

Should Oz fans expect to see quite a bit of merchandise from this film?

    There is a great, timely message in our film, which is how important it is to team together especially in times of community need. I hope that audiences young and old will understand this message and be able to relate it to a lot of the things going on in the world today. I also hope that our project will help further propel the popularity and magic of Oz to a new, younger generation.

Is it true that there are already plans for sequels?

    Roger has written a whole series of books and we do plan on turning these into films as well.  It's one of the reasons we changed the title to Legends of Oz, so that we can eventually unveil a lot of various projects, in various mediums and formats.

Is there anything you'd like to say to fans who have been supporting the film for several years now?

    I would like to thank them all for their ongoing support, as we've worked hard on making the film the best it possibly can be! We know it will be worth the wait for everyone.

Thank you to Ryan for taking the time to do this interview!

The 2014 launch of the 3D-animated film Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return is being preceded by a virtual world that features multiplayer games, 30 story quests and more than 1,000 collectible items.

The feature film from Summertime Entertainment will feature voice work by the likes of Lea Michele (Glee), Martin Short, Jim Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Kelsey Grammer.

The studio has already made the www.LegendsofOzWorld.com world and games available, which allows players to help Dorothy save Oz by reuniting her with familiar characters like Toto, Tin Man, Lion and Scarecrow, as well as explore new lands that will appear in the movie.

Summertime Entertainment’s digital team and UK-based studio Dubit worked closely with the film’s production team to ensure that 90% of the artwork in the virtual world is pulled directly from the film.

The Legends of Oz virtual world is one of 10 Oz-related intellectual properties that Summertime is expected to launch in the near future.

Read the article at KidScreen.com

 
Online game platform acts as a virtual prequel to the upcoming “Legends of Oz” 3D animated feature film
LOS ANGELES (April XX, 2013) – Summertime Entertainment, the studio producing the upcoming Legends of Oz 3D animated feature film, has released the Legends of Oz virtual world. The virtual world and games are currently available at www.LegendsofOzWorld.com.

Serving as a prequel to the film, Legends of Oz World allows players to help Dorothy save Oz by reuniting her with the familiar characters Toto, Tin Man, Lion and Scarecrow, as well as explore new lands that will appear in the movie, including China Country and the Talking Tree Forest. Legends of Oz World features multiplayer games, 30 story quests and more than 1,000 collectible items.
 
“Legends of Oz World offers dozens of hours of free family fun that are wonderful on their own, but will also significantly enhance the movie-goers’ experience,” said Brad Jashinsky, digital producer at Summertime Entertainment. “We worked closely with the film’s production team to ensure accuracy with the feature film, and more than 90 percent of the artwork in the virtual world is pulled directly from the film.”
 
One of Legends of Oz World’s more delightful features is Dorothy’s enlistment of Toto to help save Oz. The iconic terrier is not only the player’s companion in the game; he also offers another persona the player may switch to for digging out clues and treasures. In addition, the player can dress him up and nurture him, just like a real pet.
 
Legends of Oz World picks up right after the end of L. Frank Baum’s beloved fairy tale “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and ends just before the start of the upcoming "Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return" 3-D CG animated feature film. The virtual world and the film continue Dorothy’s journey via the adventure books written by Baum’s great-grandson, Roger Stanton Baum.
 “We’ve secured the rights to ten of Roger’s stories that continue his great-grandfathers literary legacy,” said Ryan Carroll, CEO of Summertime Entertainment. “The Legends of Oz virtual world is just one of intellectual properties we’re excited to bring to the public. We are in the process of developing several gaming, film, and television projects with our production and finance partners.”
Legends of Oz World is co-developed by UK-based studio, Dubit and is built on their adventure engine technology - created specifically for the development of children’s virtual worlds and apps.
 
"Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return" is produced by Summertime Entertainment, and stars Lea Michele (Dorothy), Martin Short (Jester), Jim Belushi (Lion), Dan Aykroyd (Scarecrow), Kelsey Grammer (Tin Man), Megan Hilty (China Princess), Hugh Dancy (Marshal Mallow), Oliver Platt (Wiser the Owl), Patrick Stewart (Tugg) and Bernadette Peters (Glinda). More information about the film can be found at www.LegendsOfOzMovie.com.
 
About Summertime Entertainment:
Founded by Ryan Carroll and Roland Carroll, Summertime Entertainment is a multi-media company specializing in family-friendly entertainment for film, television, digital, mobile and other trans-media platforms. Currently, Summertime Entertainment is in production on a new franchise of epic proportions, the re-vitalization of the indelible and beloved Oz world originally created by L. Frank Baum and carried on through the creative minds of his descendants. Through various forms of digital worlds, online communities and a brand new stereoscopic, 3-D animated feature film, Oz will soon be brought back to life in literally new dimensions, for a whole new generation to love and cherish. More information about Summertime Entertainment can be found at www.summertimemedia.com.
About Dubit:
Dubit works with children's entertainment brands to research, build, and market new digital experiences. Harnessing a kid-focussed approach to development, Dubit puts young people at the centre of the design process by involving them throughout the design and production of the world or app.  Formed in 2000, Dubit has been working with global brands to create digital experiences that children love. Dubit’s research services have been employed by the likes of Mind Candy, Disney and Sky, and its game development studio created the first browser-based multiplayer virtual world for Cartoon Network and the BBC and helped take The Dandy online by developing the world’s most innovative comic for DC Thomson.
Dubit is committed to making the Internet a safe and enjoyable environment for children. Dubit were founder members of the Internet Taskforce on Child Protection, and advise on ethical marketing for brands around the world.   For more information on other Dubit projects, visit: http://www.dubitlimited.com/projects.
 

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CW3PR
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Forbes Contributor Charles Sizemore writes: "While the live-action Disney movie is getting more attention at the moment due to its imminent release, "Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return" may end up being the larger money maker." Learn more about why Forbes believes the Legends of Oz franchise will be so successful by reading the full article.

Summertime Entertainment has signed a distribution deal with Clarius Entertainment for the 3D animated musical film “Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return.” The release date is slated for the 1st quarter of 2014. Variety Magazine exclusively covered the announcement on the front page of Daily Variety. Read more by visiting Variety

Summertime Entertainment, producers of the upcoming animated film Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return, recently held a private screening of the film in seven cities all over the US: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Washington DC, Las Vegas, and Dallas.

The producers also showed a 20-minute preview of the film in a VIP screening at the 31st Annual Wizard of Oz Festival in Chesterton, Indiana, last September. Read more about it here

Pantone has announced that the 2013 Color of the Year is emerald. Looks like Emerald City will be an in thing in 2013! Get ready to go on an adventure to the Emerald City in the upcoming animated feature Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return, produced by Summertime Entertainment and featuring Glee star Lea Michele!

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return is now on Everloop! Encourage your kids to follow Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return on Everloop, a safe, online social network for children under 14 years old. Here they can connect with their friends, play games, share pictures, send messages, discover new talents, learn, and have fun without worries. Tell your kids to join Everloop today and to add Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return! Read More https://www.everloop.com/loops/oz 

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return lead star Lea Michele and the cast of the hit television show Glee recently received a Screen Actors Guild Awards Nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. Congratulations, Lea!

Fourth- and fifth-grade Girl Scouts are encouraged to follow the “Yellow Brick Road” and earn their Girl Scout Way Badge at an upcoming program on December 26. Inspired by the upcoming Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return film, the program will have Girl Scouts exploring the five requirements for the badge through the lens of Wizard of Oz. Read More: here

The upcoming animated movie, Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return by Summertime Entertainment, has been called “a new family favorite” in discussions over at Cafemom.com. Slated for release in 2013, the movie has a stellar cast composed of Glee star Lea Michele in the title role, along with other noteworthy personalities like Martin Short, Bernadette Peters, Kelsey Grammer, Dan Aykroyd, and many others who promise to make this new film an instant classic! Read more here: Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return Cafe Mom

According to the "Smash" star, who plays the China Princess in the upcoming "Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return," she met someone at a Laundromat who advised her to audition at Carnegie Mellon University. At the time, she was doing some small theater shows after high school in Oregon. Had she not followed that stranger’s advice, she wouldn’t be the Broadway and TV star that she is today!

In this interview with writer Brittany Evans, Megan—who’s also starring in this season’s Pandora: Unforgettable Holiday Moments on Ice in Phoenix, Arizona—talks about the nightly performances that she misses and her first album with Sony.

Read more on the Laundromat anecdote and Megan's acting beginnings and other career news, here: Q&A: Catching Up with Megan Hilty

The movie follows the story of Dorothy, who goes back to Kansas only to find it’s not the way it used to be, so she goes back to the Land of Oz, to find that her old friends are all in grave danger. On her new journey through Oz, she meets new friends who would help her conquer the wicked Jester who wants to control Oz by casting a spell on people and turning them into china dolls.  Check out the stills here:Lea Michele: New 'Legends of Oz' Stills!

Comedian Martin Short talks to Den of Geeks’ Ryan Lambie about his experience in voice acting in Tim Burton’s 3-D comedy-horror film “Frankenweenie,” where he takes on the roles of three wildly different characters: the gentle father Mr. Frankenstein, the grumpy Mr. Burgermeister, and the lead character’s nemesis.  Short, whom you will hear next year as the voice of the villain Jester in the upcoming “Dorothy of Oz” movie, lends voice acting advice and shares how he prepared for his characters, and his reaction in seeing the finished version of “Frankenweenie.”  Read the interview here:Martin Short interview: Frankenweenie and working with Tim Burton

Lea Michele “Dorothy” was nominated for a Teen Choice Award and came home with the coveted “surfboard” award for Choice TV Actress in a Comedy on Sunday July 22nd, 2012. She has been nominated for 7 different awards so far this year and this was her 3rd win. She is currently nominated for a DoSomething.org award for her work to expose the horse drawn carriage industry. 

See pictures of Lea Michele accepting her award here: 'Glee,' Lea Michele, Chris Colfer win big at Teen Choice Awards 2012 (PHOTOS)

Thank you to all of our dedicated Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return Facebook fans who have helped us reach 25,000 likes. Stay up to date on the Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return franchise and receive exclusive content by liking our Facebook page: http://www.LegendsOfOzMovie.com

Sir Patrick Stewart “Tugg” ran through the sunshine in Croydon carrying the Olympic Torch on Monday July 23rd, 2012 as it made its way to London for the 2012 Olympic Games. Stewart is one of 8,000 people who were selected to carry the Olympic Flame. The Flame kicked off its 70-day journey at the Land’s End Signpost in Cornwall on May 19 and will end its long trek throughout the UK on July 27. See a video of Sir Patrick Stewart carrying the Olympic Torch here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18959941

Summertime Entertainment is a multi-media company specializing in family-friendly entertainment for film, television, digital, mobile, and other trans-media platforms. Currently, Summertime is in production on a new franchise of epic proportions — the re-vitalization of the indelible and beloved Oz world originally created by L. Frank Baum and carried on through the creative minds of Roger Stanton Baum, the great grandson. Through various forms of digital worlds, online communities and a brand new stereoscopic, 3D-animated feature film, Oz will soon be brought back to life in literally new dimensions, for a whole new generation to love and cherish. For more information, visit www.summertimemedia.com

A single thought ran through my head as I looked at new footage of Lea Michele in a recording session for Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return: This is the side of her I prefer. (Although, what we saw last week was technically the front, not a “side.”)

Following last week’s GQ controversy, I had wanted to believe that she was better than that. Then this footage arrived in my inbox to prove me right.

There are two main reasons I have been excited about the Glee star’s role in the upcoming animated feature since it was announced. First, I was ridiculously excited about the music. (It’s worth noting that I’ve never met another person with more music from animated movies on their iPod.) Judging by the video below, I won’t be disappointed. Second, this is exactly the kind of role I envisioned for the young actress. It’s a natural fit that harnesses her energy and enthusiasm. “[Dorothy] does definitely have that elegance and softness that Judy Garland brought to the role, but I feel I’m showing a little bit more of her youthful side,” Michele says in the video.  GQ missteps aside, it all comes down to talent, and I hope to see more of hers in projects like this

The first poster has been released for Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return, which doesn't have a release date set at this time. Take a look at the one-sheet for the new animated adventure, which features the voices of Lea Michele, Dan Aykroyd, James Belushi and Kelsey Grammer.

Summoned by Glinda, Dorothy and Toto return to the land of Oz. Joined by her old friends the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Lion, Dorothy sets out on a perilous journey to stop the Jester from using the power of the Wicked Witch of the West's wand to turn the people of Oz into puppets.

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return comes to theaters in 2013 and stars Dan Aykroyd, James Belushi, Martin Short, Kelsey Grammer, Lea Michele. The film is directed by Dan St. Pierre.

The man who played Capt. Jean-Luc Picard on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" finally made his way to the annual geek-fest on Saturday to participate in a panel on the upcoming animated musical "Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return," but of course the first question to address was: How could he have not attended the convention, where he's pretty much revered as a god, in the past? "First of all, can I just point out that I'm a Broadway girl too?" Stewart quipped, referring to his "Dorothy" co-star, "Wicked" veteran Megan Hilty, who was also on the panel.

"You see, I thought I'd been here already; it was my publicist who told me I wasn't," Stewart joked. "I must've come down here for a party, and thought I was at Comic-Con." Stewart's maiden voyage to Comic-Con turned out to be a memorable one, and not just for the adoring audience that greeted him with a standing ovation in the packed Hall H. During the panel, Hilty led the crowd in serenading Stewart -- who turned 71 years-old on July 13 -- with a rendition of "Happy Birthday."

As for "Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return" -- which was written by "Wizard of Oz" author L. Frank Baum's great-grandson Roger S. Baum and boasts a star-studded cast that includes Lea Michele, Kelsey Grammer, Dan Aykroyd and Martin Short -- Stewart noted that the fact that it's an animated feature held great appeal for him. "Right now my feeling is that the greatest innovations in cinema are being made in the world of animation. There's such a diversity of work that's being done," Stewart, who provides the voice of Tugg in the movie, enthused. "So when there's a chance to take part in this new wave of great filmmaking, I like to take part in it."

Plus, Stewart quipped, "I haven't done many iconic pieces of work in my life, so to be associated with those two letters -- O-Z, as we say in England -- is a huge compliment."Stewart went on to note that the field of animation is especially suited to his acting style."I've always thought of myself as a stage actor who occasionally does movies and television, so when I get in front of a film camera, invariably the director is saying to me, 'less,'" Stewart noted. "In my experience, in animation the directors always want, 'MORE! MORE!'"

Read more by visiting http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/patrick-stewart-makes-comic-con-debut-dorothy-oz-panel-29397?page=0,1

Megan Hilty stars on the new hit television show Smash, premiering February 6th at 10pm on NBC. Megan has received numerous rave reviews for her portrayal of Ivy Lynn, a promising broadway actress, competing for the part as Marilyn Monroe in the drama executive produced by Steven Spielberg.

In Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return, Megan voices the tiny and delicate China Princess who is fragile on the outside and afraid to be broken, literally and figuratively. But she contains a larger-than-life and occasionally boisterous personality, which she relies on to head her beloved and beautiful China Country.

Previously Megan has received a Drama Desk Award Nomination, Outer Critics Circle Award Nomination, Drama League Nomination and LA Ovation Nomination for Lead Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Doralee Rhodes in Broadway’s 9 to 5 the Musical. Megan graduated from the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University and quickly thereafter, made her Broadway Debut as Glinda in Wicked. Megan went on to perform that role in the National Tour and in Los Angeles. Megan then starred in Two by Two, as part of the Reprise Series in Los Angeles, opposite Jason Alexander, Steve Webber & Faith Prince. Among her television credits are: The Untitled Adam Carolla Project (Pilot), Bones, The Closer, Desperate Housewives, CSI, Shark, Ugly Betty, Eli Stone and The Suite Life of Zach & Cody. Megan’s voice can be heard on Disney’s The Secret Life of Magic Gourd, Phineas & Ferb, Glen Martin DDS, American Dad, and as the singing Snow White in Shrek the Third. Currently, Megan voices the character of Rosetta in Disney’s Tinker Bell & The Pixie Hollow Games.