Ok, calling Abigail Spencer a “star” from “Mad Men” is a bit much — she did only have a six-episode stint during season four as Suzanne Farrell, yet another conquest of Don Draper — but she’s definitely on the rise. She visited the set of “Hawthorne” for an eight-episode run, she’ll appear in “This Means War” with Tom Hardy, Chris Pine and Reese Witherspoon, she’s got a part in the upcoming “Cowboys & Aliens” and it looks like she’s bagged another fantasy role in a future tentpole.
THR reports that Spencer has joined James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Joey King and Zach Braff in Sam Raimi‘s “Oz The Great And Powerful.” The big-budget prequel of sorts follows Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmanuel Ambroise Diggs (Franco), a showman and magician at a traveling circus who flees in a hot air balloon after being caught canoodling with a customer’s wife only to be swept away in a terrible storm to wake up in the magical land of Oz, which is run by two magical wicked witches (Kunis and Weisz). Williams will play Glinda the Good Witch, with the young King as China Girl. Braff will play Franco’s loyal but underappreciated assistant while Spencer’s part seems to a small first reel appearance as a willing participant in Oz’s tricks while he’s in Kansas.
Production begins later this month in Michigan. Danny Elfman will be providing the score and this one will take its time to get to theaters, arriving on March 8, 2013.
