Lobby card for The Wiz (From left) Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, Diana Ross as Dorothy, Ted Ross as the Lion, and Nipsey Russell as the Tinman on a lobby card for the 1978 film The Wiz, directed by Sidney Lumet. (more) The Wiz film by Lumet [1978] Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Wiz-film Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written by Jordana Rosenfeld Jordana Rosenfeld is a copy editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. Jordana Rosenfeld Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Aug 12, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is The Wiz film about? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The Wiz is a 1978 American fantasy musical film based on the Broadway musical of the same name, which is itself an adaptation of L. Frank Baumu2019s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It features Dorothyu2019s journey in Oz, set in 1970s Harlem with an all-Black cast." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " Who made their feature film debut in The Wiz? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Michael Jackson made his feature film debut in The Wiz as the Scarecrow." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " Who directed the 1978 film The Wiz? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Sidney Lumet directed the 1978 film The Wiz." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What was the budget and box office performance of The Wiz? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The budget for The Wiz was estimated at between $22 million and $35 million, but it only made about $21 million at the box office, failing to cover production costs." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What are some notable locations used in The Wiz? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Notable locations in The Wiz include the World Trade Center as the Emerald City, Coney Islandu2019s Cyclone roller coaster for the Tinmanu2019s introduction, and the New York State Pavilion as Munchkinland." } } ] } Top Questions What is The Wiz film about? The Wiz is a 1978 American fantasy musical film based on the Broadway musical of the same name, which is itself an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It features Dorothy’s journey in Oz, set in 1970s Harlem with an all-Black cast.

　　Who made their feature film debut in The Wiz? Michael Jackson made his feature film debut in The Wiz as the Scarecrow.

　　Who directed the 1978 film The Wiz? Sidney Lumet directed the 1978 film The Wiz.

　　What was the budget and box office performance of The Wiz? The budget for The Wiz was estimated at between $22 million and $35 million, but it only made about $21 million at the box office, failing to cover production costs.

　　What are some notable locations used in The Wiz? Notable locations in The Wiz include the World Trade Center as the Emerald City, Coney Island’s Cyclone roller coaster for the Tinman’s introduction, and the New York State Pavilion as Munchkinland.

　　The Wiz, American fantasy musical film, released in 1978 and directed by Sidney Lumet, with a screenplay written by Joel Schumacher. Set in New York City’s Harlem district in the 1970s and featuring an all-Black cast, The Wiz is based on the 1975 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name, itself an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s classic novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It stars Diana Ross, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Lena Horne, and Richard Pryor, as well as Michael Jackson in his silver-screen debut. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards but was a critical and ...(100 of 874 words)

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