"Re-imaginings" of classic stories are all the rage in this post-modern society of ours and L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz has seen its fair share of new interpretations. Gregory Maguire's novel 'Wicked' (and its Broadway musical adaptation) took the familiar characters featured in 'The Wizard of Oz' and flipped them on their collective head, re-casting the evil Wicked Witch of the West as a misunderstood hero. The result was the gold standard to which all new Oz stories had to live up to...but hey, if we can't count on director Sam Raimi to live up to that standard with 'Oz the Great and Powerful' (which has a brand spankin' new poster for you to enjoy) what has the world come to?

Scheduled for release on March 8, 2013, Raimi's prequel to the iconic story of Dorothy and company tells of how a scheming con man found his way to Oz and became its all-powerful ruler. Here's the official synospsis, straight from Disney's publicity department to your eager eyes:

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.

For a film that could've been a cash-in on a popular brand, 'Oz the Great and Powerful' sure has a helluva lot of talent behind it. In addition to Raimi (a national treasure whose whimsical sense of humor and keen understanding of story make him a natural fit for Baum's work), you've got the always game Franco and the never-not-watchable-trio of Kunis, Williams and Weisz. Despite namedropping the awful 'Alice in Wonderland' on the poster, we've got a good feeling about this one.

What do you think of the new poster?