When it comes to tentpole studio releases, there's a pressure to get the next one made two or three years after the first, simply so the brand is still in people's heads. The best way to get a jump on that is to start prepping the sequel before the first film is released, and because (at least with these films) the script is often the cheapest part, it's no surprise that Disney has already commissioned someone to pen a sequel to 'Oz: The Great and Powerful.'

The news comes from Variety that Mitchell Kapner (one of the writers on 'Oz') is now working on the sequel to the prequel. The Sam Raimi film was made to line up easily with 1939's 'The Wizard of Oz,' so further adventures could be complicated by trying to remain faithful to the source film while still creating new adventures that don't kill off important characters.

As Variety notes, Disney is looking at a big opening weekend for 'Oz: The Great and Powerful,' which makes a sequel more than likely. And though surely the stars and Raimi have all been signed on for further adventures, that could get delayed if they start taking other jobs as they wait for a new script. Getting the follow-up in motion now means that they could conceivably have a sequel ready for 2015.

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