Disney has released a great teaser poster for Sam Raimi's Oz The Great and Powerful.  The pic serves as a prequel to the classic fantasy The Wizard of Oz and stars James Franco as the eponymous wizard.  The story centers on Franco’s small-time circus magician with dubious ethics who finds himself transported to Oz and drawn into a battle between the three witches Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams).  The film also stars Zach Braff as Franco's circus assistant, and Braff will also lend his vocal talents to one of the CGI creatures in the story — Finley, the winged monkey.With Disney promoting the film at Comic-Con next week, I'm sure this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of marketing materials.  Hit the jump to check out the poster.  Oz The Great and Powerful opens March 8, 2013.Here's the synopsis provided by Disney:

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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.

When small-time magician Oscar Diggs (James Franco) pulls one flimflam too many, he finds himself hurled into the fantastical Land of Oz where he must somehow transform himself into the great and powerful Wizard—and just maybe into a better man as well.

Genre:                                      Fantasy Adventure

Rating:                                      TBD

Release Date:                           March 8, 2013

Cast:                                        James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff

Director:                                   Sam Raimi

Producer:                                  Joe Roth

Executive Producers:                Grant Curtis, Philip Steuer, Palak Patel

Written by:                                Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire (credit not final)

OFFICIAL BOILERPLATE:

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.

“Oz The Great and Powerful” is produced by Joe Roth and written by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire (credit not final). Grant Curtis, Philip Steuer and Palak Patel are serving as executive producers. “Oz The Great and Powerful” opens in U.S. theaters on March 8, 2013.