CGC Home Video Celebrates "Glicked" with Return to Oz and Gladiator on VHS

Two of the most anticipated films of 2024 were recently released in theaters. Universal Pictures’ Wicked and Paramount Pictures’ Gladiator II both had excellent opening weekends, grossing $178.7 million and $226 million worldwide respectively. As audiences enjoy the new films in theaters, CGC Home Video™ is taking the time to celebrate these fan-favorite franchises by looking at two important VHS’s from earlier in the series’ timelines: Return to Oz and Gladiator!

Return to Oz (1985)

Following the release of The Wizard of Oz in 1939, Disney bought the rights to the rest of L. Frank Baum’s Oz series and began planning a sequel. Return to Oz began production in 1980 and had a troubled development period, in which director Walter Murch was briefly fired and then rehired following management changes. The film also suffered development delays.

Unlike The Wizard of Oz, which is often regarded as “whimsical” or “a fairy tale-like story,” Return to Oz focuses on darker themes and grittier storytelling. In the movie, Dorothy returns to the Land of Oz after escaping a sanitorium that her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry try to admit her into, only to find the Emerald City in chaos. Instead of being reunited with her friends, Dorothy finds that the Land of Oz has been conquered by the wicked Nome King and his accomplice Princess Mombi. Enlisting the help of Billina the talking chicken, Tik-Tok the mechanical man, Jack Pumpkinhead and the Gump, Dorothy embarks on a journey to restore Oz’s rightful rulers.

Murch knew that taking a darker tone with Return to Oz was a gamble, and it ultimately resulted in mixed reviews. Initially, the film performed poorly at the box office as critics and parents alike criticized the film’s dark themes and twisted visuals. However, the film performed well outside of US audiences and slowly gathered a cult following over the years since its release. Now, Disney and Oz fans regard Return to Oz as one of Disney’s darkest and “weirdest” films. Many collectors view Return to Oz as a must-have in home video collections, especially those that are Disney-centric.

Return to Oz was released on home video for the first time in December 1985 on VHS, Laserdisc and Betamax. This sealed VHS copy of Return to Oz by Walt Disney Home Video is graded CGC 9.0 A+ and is being featured on our social channels! Follow the yellow brick road to @CGChomevideo on Instagram to never miss the latest.

Gladiator (2000)

Inspired by the arenas in eastern Europe and the middle east, and the plot of Daniel P. Mannix’s 1958 novel Those About to Die, screenplay writer David Franzoni envisioned the plot of Gladiator in 1972. He officially pitched and wrote the script much later at the behest of Steven Spielberg, which was then picked up by DreamWorks Pictures. After a series of revisions to the script, filming and development for Gladiator began in 1998. 

The final rendition of Gladiator follows the story of Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius. Although Maximus is set to succeed the Emperor of Rome, the emperor’s son, Commodus, murders his father and takes the throne himself. Reduced to slavery, Maximus becomes a gladiator and fights his way through the ranks of the arena, aiming to earn the people’s trust and support as he seeks revenge.

Despite a troubled production period, Gladiator was the highest-performing film during its box-office weekend in May of 2000, earning $34.8 million. It remained the highest-performing film during its second weekend in theaters, then remained in the top 10 at the box office for 10 consecutive weeks. The film spent over a year in theaters and was the second-highest grossing film worldwide in 2000. Critics praised the film, calling it “magnificent,” “compelling” and “extraordinary.” Gladiator won five awards during the 73rd Academy Awards and was nominated for several more. It continues to be an influential film to this day.

Gladiator was released on DVD and VHS in November of 2000. Fans flocked to big box stores to purchase the home video release, generating $60 million in sales within the first week. The film has been re-released on Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray over the years and remains a must-have in many home video collections across the world. This CGC-certified sealed copy of Gladiator on VHS is graded CGC 9.6 A+.