First Official Poster for OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

Sam Raimi‘s Oz: The Great and Powerful tells the backstory of Frank Baum’s Wonderful Wizard of Oz, however, welcome back to Oz. Therefore, Disney has released a great official teaser poster, of course.

Sorry folks, James Franco didn’t show up on it, despite starring as the young magician Oz. A prequel to the classic fantasy The Wizard of Oz centers on Franco’s small-time circus magician Oscar Diggs with dubious ethics who finds himself transported to the fantastical Land of Oz and drawn into a battle between the three witches Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams).

The film actually shot last year, also stars Zach Braff as Franco’s circus assistant, and the CGI creature in the story — Finley, the winged monkey.

Here’s the synopsis for Oz: The Great and Powerful, which arrives on March 8th, 2013:

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.

Some footage is expected at Comic Con next week, so stay tuned.