Movie Review: OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL - 9 Stars

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I thoroughly enjoyed OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, much more than I thought I would. You know, James Franco either works or he doesn't work there is little in between and thank goodness he works very well as Raimi's wizard. A good choice in fact. I thought the casting in general was quite well done.

Here's the official storyline:
When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

The 3D is amazing. Right up there with LIFE OF PI, HUGO, THE HOBBIT and AVATAR. Sam Raimi and 3ality Technica sent it soaring. The moment I saw the first trailer with the black and white small screen and the blowing flames I knew that we had the potential of something very good here for 3D. When you use extra black space on the edges it allows you to overplay the 3D when needed - like the flames. And when he widened the shot and brought in color as the balloon emerged from the tornado - pure magic. No wonder Disney was all over this.

I loved, loved Danny Elfman's score throughout this! He deserves to be commended.

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OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL currently sits with $280 million in worldwide box office only 10 days into release. Another 3D blockbuster to say the least.

You really should go see this movie if you haven't already. And bring your family if you have young ones. The finale is especially fun and had me smiling ear to ear. A wonderful story, spectacular scenery and immersion and a satisfying conclusion. Easily 9 stars. Enjoy!

Must Watch: First Clip From Raimi's OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL!

Hmmm. This looks GOOD. Perhaps it's because Franco is not in the scene but this clip looks very, VERY good. Great acting and significant conflict was built up in what, 30 seconds?

This is a Sam Raimi movie after all - we should all know that it's going to be a great time at the cinema. *AND* it's shot in native 3D using 3ality Technica rigs, so the visuals should also be top notch.

Here is the official storyline:
Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful,” directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot – fame and fortune are his for the taking – that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity – and even a bit of wizardry – Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL opens on March 8. 




via Collider

New Trailer For Raimi's OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

This trailer looks amazing to me. Visually we could be nearing a masterpiece here and if the comparisons to Disney's other recent magicial 3D trip to another realm, ALICE IN WONDERLAND stay true, then it should be a great trip indeed for us. And for Disney's coffers. 

Here's the storyline for the movie:
Disney's fantastical adventure "Oz The Great and Powerful," directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum's beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot--fame and fortune are his for the taking--that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity--and even a bit of wizardry--Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

Official Site: http://www.disney.com/thewizard

Disney's OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL opens on March 8, 2013.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer...

MUST WATCH: First Trailer For Sam Raimi's OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL!

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Ok - this looks good. I can see myself totally immersed in this thing even though being transported to another world by a tornado seems a bit of a stretch to accomplish. Suspension of disbelief seems to be working here.

Director Sam Raimi seems to have stepped up to the plate swinging with this effort, his first since DRAG ME TO HELL in 2009. Of course most will remember him for THE EVIL DEAD and the first three movies of the Spider-man franchise.

Note in the black and white beginning to the trailer, flames are shooting outside of the camera frame - this is going to really startle some folks as those flames will be coming right at you (in my estimation) - more so than normal. It's an old technique in 3D from the golden years and it looks like the beginning of the movie may have some of these sights gags. The way it works is that those black bars surrounding the movie hold space in reserve expressly for 3D purposes only. When an object moves into those black areas, the off the screen effect is greatly exaggerated. It should be impressive. I expect once the movie turns to color that the 'comin' at ya' moments fade off dramatically and goes for more immersion.

OZ Panel At Comic-Con 2012

You know, I used to find it hard to believe just about any character that James Franco plays, but he seems to be getting better as an actor. I had wondered why he kept getting such great roles in his career despite not having all the chops of some of his contemporaries, but I am pretty much over that now. 127 HOURS was great. He looks good here as Oz too. I think his best days are ahead of him. We'll see!

Here's the movie's storyline:
Disney's fantastical adventure Oz The Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot--fame and fortune are his for the taking--that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity--and even a bit of wizardry--Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

Director: Sam Raimi
Writer: Mitchell Kapner
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Cast: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz
Release: March 8, 2013

Website and Mobile site: Disney.com/TheWizard
Follow on Twitter: Twitter.com/DisneyPictures

Love the potential for 3D here. The visuals - especially of the Oz landscape are going to look outstanding! Can't wait to see the results. For all of our OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL coverage, click here.

MUST WATCH: Behind The Scenes Of Sam Raimi's OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL - Plus 3D Production Workflow Info!

3ality Technica Rigs With Red Epic Cameras

Ready for a fresh take on THE WIZARD OF OZ? I am. Well it's really a prequel. Moreover, it looks like Sam Raimi's going to deliver with some new perspectives on the famous characters. Plus, there is no singing and dancing - well very little according to Mila Kunis. In fact, due to licensing restrictions Disney has had to avoid some connections to the original movie, but that could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. I don't have any real interest in a total remake of the first Oz.

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One of the cool things about the movie is that it's being shot in native 3D using Red Epics and 3ality Technica's 3D rigs. If you're interested in a technical and in-depth review of the workflow involved with OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, check out this great read found on 695 Quarterly.

James Franco's Oz takes on three witches played by the aforementioned Mila Kunis joined by Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams.

Says Franco: "This Oz is a little different. You get to see a lot more of who this Oz is. The search for (his heart) is one of the main themes of this movie."

Stereoscopic Monitoring Setup

Here's the movie's official storyline:
Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful,” directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well. When small-time magician Oscar Diggs (James Franco) pulls one flimflam too many, he finds himself hurled into the fantastical Land of Oz where he must somehow transform himself into the great and powerful Wizard—and just maybe into a better man as well.

I would think that Disney will be revealing more OZ during Comic-Con this week - we'll see. 

OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL opens on March 8, 2013. Click here for all of our coverage of the movie. Click here for the movie's official site.

Check out the behind the scenes ET video:



Original Clip Source: IndieWire
 

First Look: Poster From Sam Raimi's OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

Looks like Sam Raimi is going to land nicely with OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL after his helming of the Spider-man franchise for so long.

The poster looks outstanding. I like the blend of the realistic (a hot air powered balloon) and the fantastic (The Emerald City in the background), the rich colors and lighting. Beautiful.

Want further testament to how gorgeous this movie is going to look? OZ is being shot in native 3D using 3ality Technica's 3D camera rigs! You can expect the best.

The movie stars James Franco (Oz), Mila Kunis (Theodora), Rachel Weisz (Evanora), Michelle Williams (Glinda) and Zach Braff (Finley).

Here's the movie's storyline:
Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful,” directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

Be prepared for an avalanche of marketing with Comic-Con coming up next week!

OZ: THE GREAT A POWERFUL opens March 8, 2013.

Raimi Signs On For OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL... Is DOWNEY JR. Next?

Sam Raimi has signed on to direct OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL according to Deadline. The movie is actually going to be a prequel to THE WIZARD OF OZ and it will definitely be in 3D.

Robert Downey Jr. is being pursued to play the Wizard of Oz, but it remains to be seen whether he can find the time to fit the production into his schedule with huge films like SHERLOCK HOLMES 2, THE AVENGERS and GRAVITY.

The big question on everyone's mind is can Raimi duplicate what Tim Burton just did with ALICE IN WONDERLAND? Good question. What do you think?

BREAKING: Raimi, Maguire And Dunst Out - Sony Plans SPIDER-MAN Reboot... In 3D?

Jim here. Sony just released the news that Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst are out for SPIDER-MAN 4 and in fact the studio plans to reboot the franchise!

From Sony: Culver City, CA (January 11, 2010) -- Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012.

Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today they are moving forward with a film based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises.

The new chapter in the Spider-Man franchise produced by Columbia, Marvel Studios and Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, will have a new cast and filmmaking team. Spider-Man 4 was to have been released in 2011, but had not yet gone into production.

“A decade ago we set out on this journey with Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire and together we made three Spider-Man films that set a new bar for the genre. When we began, no one ever imagined that we would make history at the box-office and now we have a rare opportunity to make history once again with this franchise. Peter Parker as an ordinary young adult grappling with extraordinary powers has always been the foundation that has made this character so timeless and compelling for generations of fans. We’re very excited about the creative possibilities that come from returning to Peter's roots and we look forward to working once again with Marvel Studios, Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin on this new beginning,” said Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

“Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me. While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job,” said Sam Raimi.

“We have had a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration and friendship with Sam and Tobey and they have given us their best for the better part of the last decade.This is a bittersweet moment for us because while it is hard to imagine Spider-Man in anyone else’s hands, I know that this was a day that was inevitable,” said Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, who has served as the studio’s chief production executive since the beginning of the franchise. “Now everything begins anew, and that’s got us all tremendously excited about what comes next. Under the continuing supervision of Avi and Laura, we have a clear vision for the future of Spider-Man and can’t wait to share this exciting new direction with audiences in 2012.”

"Spider-Man will always be an important franchise for Sony Pictures and a fresh start like this is a responsibility that we all take very seriously," said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures. "We have always believed that story comes first and story guides the direction of these films and as we move onto the next chapter, we will stay true to that principle and will do so with the highest respect for the source material and the fans and moviegoers who deserve nothing but the best when it comes to bringing these stories and characters to life on the big screen."

So stunning is a choice word to describe this announcement! SPIDER-MAN is by far my favorite character out there and to be honest I LOVE the move. It was time. I never liked the casting of Maguire and Dunst. Just something about them. Raimi was ok in the role of director though.

How about S3D for the reboot? You bet! Part of the reason for the negotiation set back was in fact 3D. You can read about that here. Sony is betting the bank on 3D so this should be a slam dunk. Will Cameron be interested? He DID write a script for Spidey back in the day and he loved the webslinger as a child...

Credit goes to Nikke Finke for the exclusive!

EXCLUSIVE: SPIDER-MAN 4 Will Have Only One Villain - The Lizard!!

EXCLUSIVE:

Jim here. In what must be exclusives week at MarketSaw, we get a quick update on SPIDER-MAN 4 which of course is getting lensed in stereoscopic 3D.

We all pretty much knew that either The Lizard and/or Carnage would be in this movie and now we have word that it will be The Lizard ONLY. No multiple villains. Again, strong source here. Of course, things could change - but it is highly doubtful.

I couldn't be happier! SPIDER-MAN 3 suffered from too many story lines in my mind and with only one villain, Sam Raimi can focus on the character development and really build Dr. Curt Connors / The Lizard the way it should be. If there are too many bad guys you lose the connection - it is a good thing to almost feel bad for them when they lose (or win as the case may be). It is very hard to develop two villains within the same movie and establish that honest mind meld with them.

So what do you think? You happy with The Lizard being the sole villain? Who should be cast? Dylan Baker? (sounds like he has the job!)

Lionsgate Lines Up Yet Another Stereo Project: BURST 3D

Jim here. Lionsgate is at it again! The Vancouver studio and Sam Raimi's Ghost House production company has lined up Neil Marshall (DOOMSDAY, THE DESCENT) to direct BURST 3D. This coming after Lionsgate committed to the SAW and TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE franchises in 3D and their success of MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D.

The story sounds hot: "A group of stranded travelers meet during a blizzard and get stalked by a malevolent force that makes people spontaneously combust."

From Variety: Marshall, the editor-turned writer/director who directed “Descent” and the apocalyptic 2008 “Doomsday,” is currently working on “Centurion,” the period film that stars Michael Fassbender. A group of Roman soldiers fight for their lives behind enemy lines after their legion is ambushed during the Roman invasion of England in 117 A.D.

Guys - I love Lionsgate's heavy involvement with 3D here. Not only because their swirling gears logo looks ultra cool in 3D, but because they have vision. They are carving out a lucrative, exciting business for themselves and it will be a pleasure to watch them develop their 3D vault. BTW, I loved DOOMSDAY. Marshall can exude a very gritty and suspenseful aura in his movies - perfect for the horror genre.

(Via JoBlo - thanks Kilar for the heads up!)

Sam Raimi Scares Up Evil Dead: The Musicial - YES, In 3D!

Of course! Makes sense right? Especially if the concept is already proven on stage as it has been in Toronto for the past 4 years.

Why 3D? Well other than it being a kick ass way of conveying what directors want you to see, there is also a "splatter zone" for the live musical that involves the first three rows getting blasted with blood. Could it be that a gimmicky musical might use 3D to elicit some laughs? Me thinks so.

Looks like they would start shooting in the spring of 2009 if they can line up some of the original cast (errr... Bruce Campbell) and get through the licensing red tape. Might be interesting!

Personally after seeing "Sweeney Todd" and "Mamma Mia" (yeah - I like ABBA - so what?) I am all for 3D being used for this genre. Both of those movies would have been served well with a stereoscopic presentation - a little pot pie and take a chance on me and BINGO.

Does Bruce Campbell have the singing chops to pull this off? Or will he massacre it? Time will tell! :-)

"Dead Still": Thriller Being Read By Raimi's Ghost House Productions For 3D

Jim here. Peter Skagen is a Canadian actor (Lonesome Dove) but also a script writer it seems. His recently penned "Dead Still" (took him only 2 weeks to write it) has been garnering plenty of attention lately and in particular from Sam Raimi's Ghost House Productions. They are currently considering ramping up the script into a $25 million stereoscopic 3D thriller.

The movie is set in the jungles of the Asia and is said to be an eco-thriller and a throwback to the action movies of the 80's. Less blood and gore, but more suspense.

"Our picture takes place 95 per cent in the jungle, and in an old, abandoned sort of native longhouse -- a perfect enclosed, musty space -- and the action -- logs crashing through doors, giant snakes and lots of falling water -- turns out to be perfect for 3-D," says Skagen.

It is not only Sam Raimi who is on his side. Charlotte Clay Huggins was the first to option it - she is one of the producers of "Journey To The Center Of The Earth" and "Fly Me to the Moon" - both hot 3D commodities right now.

All the power to him! Hmmm... I have a few ideas for a 3D movie - time to spend a couple of weeks and put it together :-)

Raimi Is Doing "Drag Me To Hell" Next. Ummm. That's HELL, Not Middle-earth!

Sam Raimi has announced his next project and it is NOT "The Hobbit" as some sites seem to think will happen. Well lets hope for his sake it is better than Spider-man 3, 'cause that was not so good. We DO know he is good at horror so rock on Raimi!

New Line Snagged with $125k Sanction: Peter Jackson Continues Push

New Line has been hit with a court ordered sanction of $125,000 for failing to produce documents in standard, due diligence discovery. Peter Jackson's attorneys may soon have the right to personally review New Line's documents including email if an audit is not delivered within 21 days.

This does not bode well for Jackson to be offered the helm of "The Hobbit". I still firmly believe that he is the ONLY choice and that the whole project should be attached to him, even if they have to sell the rights. This whole situation is ridiculous and I am seeing it over and over again - it has now migrated over to the 3D movie industry too with accusations of debts being owed and 'Pump and Dump' stock price manipulations (see this week's posts). Greed is destroying Hollywood slowly but surely just when cooperation should be at its best. With Raimi stating he has nothing to do with "The Hobbit" (dated I know, but still on the record), I fear for the outcome of the whole mess.

It certainly seems that New Line has something to hide. If they did indeed miscalculate revenue from 2001's "The Fellowship Of The Ring", then they are writing their own epitaph right now. If they came clean, all could be solved within days. Don't be shy Shaye.

UPDATE: Sep 24, 2007

U.S. Magistrate Steven Hillman said in the ruling that New Line may have destroyed documents and failed to search for documents and emails it was required by the court to produce, and cited a number of examples in which the searches were "haphazard." Jackson's suit against New Line alleges that he has not received proper accounting of income from "The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring." (Variety)

I am stunned. With the money Jackson brought to the studio their should be equitable dealings across the board. Sheesh.

Sam Raimi NOT involved with "The Hobbit" !

It looks like "The Hobbit" is Peter Jackson's baby. With New Line stating that Jackson is involved and Raimi recently saying he no longer is, it doesn't take many taters to figure out that Jackson is back at the helm directing! This is truly great news:

• Q: Are you involved with “The Hobbit”?
• Sam Raimi: I am not involved. I respect the director [Peter Jackson] a great deal and he may do it some day, so no.

Hallelujah. Now lets get on with production! Green light this sucker.

Now for some conjecture: What if Weta Digital is capable of making The Hobbit in 3D? James Cameron is using Weta Digital on his upcoming mega blockbuster Avatar which is entirely shot in 3D - imagine the movie that Jackson could come up with in that scenario? Maybe wishful thinking, but whoa what an immersive movie that would be. C'mon Peter. If you are reading this humble blog use the Cameron/Pace Fusion 3D Camera System and truly make The Hobbit the next generation of Tolkien treasure.

You can read more about James Cameron and his 3D technology within this blog. It is truly amazing technology.

Bob Shaye is Samwise???

The net is full of rumors that Sam Raimi is taking the directors helm of 'The Hobbit' with Peter Jackson reduced to producing it. Hogwash. If New Line is STUPID enough to replace the director of the LOTR trilogy with an 'ok' director (who made a mess of Spiderman 3 IMO), they are losing oh say $333,000,000. Round figures. I say the movie loses 1/3 of its take had Peter Jackson been the director. What the hell do folks have to do to smarten Bob Shaye up? Of course, it could just be rumors and Jackson is set to direct, but I don't like the way things are shaping up recently. A bad announcement may be coming. WTF? Pay Jackson what's right and do this thing already!

Being Peterwise is the better play Bob and you know it...

"The Hobbit" May NOT BE Peter'ed Out...

Word on the street is that the director of Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World, Dead Poets Society, The Mosquito Coast and The Truman Show namely Peter Weir has had Tolkien's "The Hobbit" dangled in front of him. Personally, I would take Weir over Raimi. While Raimi has had a nice run with the Spider-Man franchise (third not so much), Weir has consistently delivered and can spin a yarn.

Great writer too. So go get it Peter. Either Peter.

The Hobbit - Has a familiar ring to it...

Sam Raimi has officially voiced interest in the prequel to New Line's The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, The Hobbit! As much as I want Peter Jackson to pick up where he left off with his Tolkien epic, it looks like his legal battle with New Line over profit sharing will prevent that from ever happening.

Raimi has said that he will NOT do The Hobbit without the blessing of Jackson and that says a lot about the man. Jackson put his life into those movies and it is satisfying to see the respect that the peers give him.

**UPDATE** Apr18, 07: Apparently Raimi has contacted Bob Shaye and Shaye has given the go-ahead for Raimi to direct The Hobbit!! One more to go: Peter Jackson!

James Cameron has definitely sided with Jackson. He says that it is a matter of course that revenue numbers are openly shared and calculated and he is firmly in Jackson's camp on this.

New Line had better smarten up. Jackson is probably the world's best right now (we'll see after Avatar and Interstellar are released!) and they are doing themselves any favors by conducting business this way. Some would say directors are essential to make movies...

I say godspeed Jackson, hopefully you can make The Hobbit, but if you can't then Raimi is a good second choice.