In an era where the clamor for representation and diversity in the media is becoming more prominent, acclaimed Hollywood director Kenya Barris has revealed plans to modernize two of cinema’s beloved classics, “The Wizard of Oz” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The revamp is set to breathe new life into the tales we’ve loved for generations, reframing them through the lens of the often-unheard multicultural voices that make up today’s society. This effort is aimed at disrupting the single-point narrative, and according to Barris, it’s long overdue.
The visionary behind popular television show “Black-ish,” Barris made the announcement during a recent interview at the Sundance Film Festival. He expressed his intention of leveraging these remakes as platforms to foreground underrepresented communities by altering the characters and their contexts. These efforts are grounded in his belief that it is the ideal time to discuss what individuals envision their lives could be.
Speaking of the iconic “Wizard of Oz,” set during the Great Depression era, Barris proposes retelling the story from an unconventional perspective. “The original ‘Wizard of Oz’ was about self-reliance and what people were going through,” Barris said, suggesting that the film’s reimagining will mirror these notions in a contemporary sequence of events. Barris envisions the new take on the film as one that narrates a hero’s journey, wherein a character embarks on an adventure to realize the value of their existing circumstance.
On the topic of the Christmas classic, “It’s A Wonderful Life,” the seasoned filmmaker anticipates the re-invention of the story featuring a “person of color” in the lead role. The new rendition of the Frank Capra masterpiece is anticipated to echo core themes using a different societal perspective. “It’s a guy who’s trying to help out his community and things are going to turn around on him,” he hinted, which gives an exciting glimpse into how the story could unfold.
Notably, Barris has previously spoken about his inclination towards creating content that sparks important societal conversations using ‘diverse’ characters. During an appearance on “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon,” he spoke about his version of Dorothy, a girl from Inglewood whose story unfolds in Underhood, a symbolically significant twist on the classic storyline.
In the capacity of an influential filmmaker, Kenya Barris is leveraging his project to make a compelling statement about representation in Hollywood. This undertaking is more than a cinematic endeavor – it is a clarion call for creating spaces in media for narratives that have been overlooked.
The updated spin to classics like “The Wizard of Oz” and “It’s a Wonderful Life,” with their global appeal and timelessness, projects a key message about inclusion and representation. By shifting the normative narratives, Barris is set to enrich the cinematic sphere, pushing it towards becoming a more inclusive space where stories of all hues can thrive. This transformative endeavor goes beyond the celluloid world; encouraging us to embrace diversity and identify the shared human experiences that unite us all under the rainbow. Consequent to the revised lens, we stand poised for profound and inclusive storytelling on the big screen that is as enchanting as it is enabling.
