NBC’s “Emerald City” is rounding out its cast and things are beginning to look up.
Meet Florence Kasumba, 39, the German actress who has landed the iconic role of the Wicked Witch of the East in the musical re-take on Dorothy and company. Only, it looks like we’re not in Kansas anymore, or even Oz for that matter.
In case you missed it, NBC resurrected “Emerald City” after passing on the project in January 2014, with a straight-to-series order last spring. Writer/executive producer David Schulner is helming the project, Deadline reported at the time.
“Emerald City” is described as “a modern and dark reimagining of the classic tale of Oz in the vein of ‘Game Of Thrones.’ Swept up into the eye of a tornado, 20-year-old Dorothy Gale (Arjona) is transported to another world — a mystical land in great peril, where an all-powerful Wizard has outlawed magic and rules over the many kingdoms. This is the fabled Land of Oz in a way you’ve never seen before — where lethal warriors roam, wicked witches plot in the shadows and a young girl from Kansas becomes the headstrong hero who holds the fate of their world in her hands.”
Although Kasumba’s name may not sound familiar, the Ugandan beauty has starred in a variety of projects ranging from foreign films Ik ook van jou (2001) and Tatort – Borowski und das Meer (2014) to the small screen series “The Quest,” where fantasy meets reality as 12 contestants engage in epic challenges in the world of “Everealm.” She’s been filming in English, German, and Dutch since 2000. In other words, we expect she’ll bring something pretty magical to the fantasy reboot.
While no premiere date has been set for “Emerald City,” Kasumba joins actress Adria Arjona who is playing Dorothy Gale, alongside romantic interest Lucas, aka Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Vincent D’Onofrio who has been cast as the Wizard of Oz.
What are your thoughts on NBC casting the beautiful Kasumba as the Wicked Witch of the East? Sound off in the comment section below.
