The Muppets' Wizard of Oz is a 2005 musical television film directed by Kirk Thatcher and starring Ashanti and The Muppets with supporting roles done by Jeffrey Tambor, Quentin Tarantino, David Alan Grier, and Queen Latifah. The film was produced by Bill Barretta and written by Debra Frank, Steve L. Hayes, Tom Martin, and Adam F. Goldberg.
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz follows a young woman named Dorothy Gale who dreams of becoming a singer but is unable to pursue her dreams. After being swept up by a tornado with her pet prawn Toto, she embarks on a journey to meet the Wizard of Oz, the person who both she and the citizens of Oz believe can help make her dream come true.
The film was co-produced by The Jim Henson Company in association with Fox Television Studios, Touchstone Television, and the The Muppets Studio. Pre-production on The Muppets' Wizard of Oz took place throughout February 2004, and filming occurred during September 2004. ABC made several changes to the film after the initial script was written, ultimately deciding to base the film on L. Frank Baum's original novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz instead of the 1939 film. As with the preceding Muppet films, The Muppets' Wizard of Oz became a musical, and included five new songs written and composed by Michael Giacchino.