NEW YORK, Aug 28 — NBC is working on a TV adaptation of the classic children’s book series The Wizard of Oz, Deadline.com reports.

L. Frank Baum’s fantasy world will provide the inspiration for a darker, more sinister interpretation along the lines of “Game of Thrones”, according to Deadline.com.

Matthew Arnold, the creator of “Siberia”, will write and produce the project, now titled “Emerald City”.

In the lead-up to the 75th anniversary of the classic 1939 film adaptation, several TV projects based on The Wizard of Oz are being prepared.

Perhaps the most intriguing is “Dorothy”, a medical drama starring L. Frank Baum’s characters, in the works at CBS. Syfy, meanwhile, will air “Warriors of Oz”, a fantasy-action miniseries in the works from Timur Bekmambetov (“Wanted” and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”).

The film, directed by Victor Fleming and starring Judy Garland as Dorothy, an orphan transported to Oz after a tornado, will be released in cinemas next month in a 3D version. — AFP/Relaxnews