Corona | Coming Attractions

After this week's announcement that the next James Bond movie has been completely stalled due to the sale of MGM's assets, the movie's director, Sam Mendes, now finds himself free and available for new work. According to Production Weekly, Mendes might have that new job soon.

In one of the outlet's exclusive tweets about new productions, PW mentions that Mendes is the "front runner" to direct Oz the Great and Powerful for Walt Disney Pictures. The project was one formerly known as Brick, and as written by Romeo Must Die screenwriter Mitchell Kapner, it would tell the story of how the man who became the Wizard of Oz came to that world and became the man behind the curtain in the emerald city.

Furthermore, Production Weekly reports that Robert Downey Jr. is "circling" the part of the Wizard. Needless to say, with the interest of two heavy-hitters like Mendes and Downey, Oz the Great and Powerful could quickly become a go picture for Disney.