If it feels like you can't move for young adult stories at the moment, you're either trapped under a bookcase or you've noticed the avalanche of adaptations currently cartwheeling to the screen as Hollywood searches for the next Harry Potter / Hunger Games / **Twilight **franchise. Warner Horizon are hoping their newly commissioned TV series, Red Brick Road, will provide something similar on the small screen with a "darkly futuristic" take on Frank L. Baum's source material.
Created by Rob Prior, a concept artist and graphic novelist, Red Brick Road promises to bring a Game Of Thrones edge to Munchkin land. Blood, dynastic conflict and swordplay. Kansas? Pah. The brick road isn't even *yellow *anymore.
Warner Horizon, the television arm of Warner Bros., will be hoping to surf the wave of interest in Baum's creation that's stirred up Sam Raimi's Oz The Great And Powerful to bring the fantastical land to new generations - although, frankly, if they haven't seen the original, they should have a word with themselves.
Judging by Prior's concept art (above), a Tin Man with shades of Nazgul about him, that's not the only surprise in store. We can't wait to see what the Cowardly Lion looks like.
Piloting the production is an experienced TV production team that includes Mark Wolper and Roy Lee (Bates Motel) and Adrian Askarieh (Leonardo Da Vinci And The Soldiers Of Forever, Hitman).