A wickedly disturbing unofficial sequel

This article has been republished from our Rewind newsletter.

The Wizard of Oz has been subject to numerous sequels, prequels, adaptations, and spin-offs since its initial release in 1939. Though Wicked is arguably the most popular, Return to Oz is clearly the most disturbing. Released in 1985, it starts with Dorothy Gale, sans baby blue gingham pinafore (thanks to MGM’s exclusive copyright). Six months have passed since her skip down the yellow brick road, and her Aunty Em and Uncle Henry are concerned for her mental health. As she reminisces on the memories shared with her fateful friends back in Oz, all they can muster are shrewd comments on her mind’s delusions. So what’s their solution? They ship her off to a sanatorium for a lobotomy.

The threat of electrotherapy is enough to send headstrong little Dorothy into a panic, and she flees for her life. As she bobs down a stream, deep in the night, she awakens in what was once the Emerald City. To Dorothy’s shock, not even the tin-man, scarecrow, or cowardly lion can provide some much much-needed context, as they’ve all been turned to stone, and the town is in ruins. To make matters worse, the area is overrun by wheelers. Simply put, they’re men with wheels for hands and feet, but it’s pure nightmare fuel. They don masks reminiscent of tangled extension cords, and screech and cackle, as they chase Dorothy around the ruins.

To restore Oz to its former glory, Dorothy must enlist the help of an unlikely team. A spunky talking chicken, a beer-bellied robot with a top hat, an animatronic moose, and a man with a pumpkin head.

Even though it performed rather poorly at the box office, it gained a cult following after its initial release. It was also later praised for its close adherence to the original Wonderful Wizard of Oz books by L. Frank Baum. Since MGM had copyrighted the iconic trademarks of its 1939 film (or rather anything that wasn’t in any of the original books), they had to get creative. That meant leaning into Baum’s bizarre creations, like the Nome King, a sadistic tyrant with a contempt for chickens. Despite how uncanny it may seem, Return to Oz is both charming and chilling, making it a top choice if you’re after an off-kilter alternative to Wicked.

How to watch Return to Oz in Australia

Return to Oz is available to Disney Plus subscribers in Australia. It's also available to buy on Apple TV. Disney Plus plans start at $15.99 per month and while there's no free trial available, there are a few offers, such as annual plans, that can help you cut back the cost. 

	Plan	Price	Details
Disney Plus	Disney Plus Standard with Ads Standard with Ads Full HD streaming · 2 devices at once Ads included From $9.99/mth View Plan	From $9.99/mth	View Plan
Disney Plus	Disney Plus Standard Standard Full HD streaming · 2 devices at once Ad-free Annual: $179.99/yr (Save $35) From $17.99/mth or $179.99/yr View Plan	From $17.99/mth or $179.99/yr	View Plan
Disney Plus	Disney Plus Premium Premium 4K UHD + HDR · 4 devices at once Ad-free Annual: $249.99/yr (Save $49) From $24.99/mth or $249.99/yr View Plan	From $24.99/mth or $249.99/yr	View Plan

	Plan	Price	Details
AMC+ Bundle	AMC+ Bundle TV 7-day free trial TV 7-day free trial HD 1080p · 5 devices at once AMC+, Shudder & Acorn TV Annual: $83.88/yr (save $24) From $8.99/mth or $83.88/yr View Plan	From $8.99/mth or $83.88/yr	View Plan
Disney+	Disney+ TV + movies + sport TV + movies + sport 4K UHD · 4 devices at once Annual: From $179.99/y (save up to $49.89) From $9.99/mth or $179.99/yr View Plan	From $9.99/mth or $179.99/yr	View Plan
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Crunchyroll	Crunchyroll TV + movies 7-day free trial TV + movies 7-day free trial HD 1080p · 4 devices at once Annual: From $119.99/yr (save up to 16%) From $11.99/mth or $119.99/yr View Plan	From $11.99/mth or $119.99/yr	View Plan
Apple TV	Apple TV TV + movies 7-day free trial TV + movies 7-day free trial 4K UHD · 6 (with Family Sharing) Annual: $129/yr (save $62.88) From $15.99/mth or $129/yr View Plan	From $15.99/mth or $129/yr	View Plan
Kayo Sports	Kayo Sports Sport 7-day free trial Sport 7-day free trial 4K UHD · 2 devices at once Deal: 1 month for $1 From $29.99/mth View Plan	From $29.99/mth	View Plan
DAZN	DAZN Sport Sport HD 1080p · 2 devices at once Annual: From $149.99/yr (save $223.89) From $31.99/mth or $149.99/yr View Plan	From $31.99/mth or $149.99/yr	View Plan
Foxtel Now	Foxtel Now TV + movies + sport 10-day free trial TV + movies + sport 10-day free trial HD 1080p · 2 devices at once Annual: Save 30% on Sports + Movies package when you sign up for 12mths From $35/mth View Plan	From $35/mth	View Plan
Paramount+	Paramount+ TV + movies + sport 7-day free trial TV + movies + sport 7-day free trial 4K UHD · 4 devices at once Annual: From $70.99/yr (save up to $55.89) From $7.99/mth or $70.99/yr Link not supplied	From $7.99/mth or $70.99/yr	Link not supplied
Stan.	Stan. TV + movies + sport TV + movies + sport 4K UHD · 4 devices at once From $9.99/mth Link not supplied	From $9.99/mth	Link not supplied
HBO Max	HBO Max TV + movies TV + movies 4K UHD · 4 devices at once Annual: From $119.99yr (save up to $43.89) From $11.99/mth or $119.99yr Link not supplied	From $11.99/mth or $119.99yr	Link not supplied
BritBox	BritBox TV 7-day free trial TV 7-day free trial 4K UHD · 4 devices at once Annual: $139.99/yr (save $27.89) From $13.99/mth or $139.99/yr Link not supplied	From $13.99/mth or $139.99/yr	Link not supplied
MUBI	MUBI Movies 7-day free trial Movies 7-day free trial 4K UHD · 2 devices at once Annual: $119.88/yr (save $60) From $14.99/mth or $119.88/yr Link not supplied	From $14.99/mth or $119.88/yr	Link not supplied

Hannah Geremia

Digital Content Editor

Hannah Geremia is a Digital Content Editor for WhistleOut Australia. She's worked in consumer technology since April 2023 and has since won four awards IT journalism space. In 2025, she won Best New Journalist in the IT Journalism Award (The Lizzies). She has won Best Technical Writer at the Consensus Awards in both 2024 and 2025, and the Most Entertaining Writer in 2025. Before her time at WhistleOut, she created content for SafeWise Australia. Here she wrote at length about internet safety, cyber security, and consumer tech.

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