Judi Dench is an English actress, artist, and author. Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years, she performed in several of Shakespeare's plays, in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. Although most of her work during this period was in theatre, she also branched into film work and won a BAFTA Award as Most Promising Newcomer. She drew rave reviews for her leading role in the musical Cabaret in 1968. Over the next two decades, Dench established herself as one of the most significant British theatre performers, working for the National Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company. She received critical acclaim for her work on television during this period, in the series A Fine Romance (1981–1984) and As Time Goes By (1992–2005), in both of which she held starring roles. Her film appearances were infrequent, and included supporting roles in major films, such as A Room with a View (1986), before she rose to international fame as M in GoldenEye (1995), a role she continued to play in James Bond films until Spectre (2015). A seven-time Academy Award nominee, Dench won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love (1998); her other Oscar-nominated roles were in Mrs Brown (1997), Chocolat (2000), Iris (2001), Mrs Henderson Presents (2005), Notes on a Scandal (2006) and Philomena (2013). She has also received many other accolades for her acting in theatre, film, and television; her other competitive awards include six British Academy Film Awards, four BAFTA TV Awards, seven Olivier Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award. She has also received the BAFTA Fellowship in 2001, and the Special Olivier Award in 2004. In June 2011, she received a fellowship from the British Film Institute (BFI). Dench provided her voice for several smaller projects including Walt Disney's Home on the Range, alongside Roseanne Barr and Jennifer Tilly
This is a sweeping, family-friendly fantasy adventure that reimagines L. Frank Baum’s Oz series as an ambitious yearly film saga blending heart, comedy, music, and spectacle. The story begins when Kansas farm girl Dorothy is swept by a cyclone into the magical land of Oz, where even her dog Toto talks and every road seems to lead toward destiny. Along the Yellow Brick Road she teams up with a quick-witted Scarecrow, a shy Tin Woodman, and a theatrical Cowardly Lion, each searching for the qualities they believe they lack. Together they confront the imposing Wizard, outsmart a terrifying Wicked Witch, and discover that courage, love, and intelligence were inside them all along. As the series continues year by year, Oz expands into a larger world of pumpkin-headed companions, clockwork soldiers, living china people, and rebellious princesses reclaiming their throne. Dorothy becomes both visitor and hero, returning repeatedly to help Princess Ozma protect the Emerald City from witches, tricksters, and the subterranean Nome King. Each chapter mixes comedy and wonder with surprisingly emotional stakes, turning Oz into a place that feels lived-in, strange, and deeply human. The tone balances Broadway-style musicality, fast-talking humor, and old-school practical fantasy in the spirit of classic 2000s adventure films. A star-studded ensemble—including Lilla Crawford, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Michael Cera, Jess Harnell, Kristin Chenoweth, Fiona Shaw, Octavia Spencer, and Michael Douglas—brings theatrical personality and warmth to every role. Later installments introduce memorable newcomers like Helena Bonham Carter, Keith David, Donald Glover, and Auliʻi Cravalho, making each film feel fresh while keeping the found-family core intact. What starts as one girl’s journey home evolves into an epic, interconnected saga about friendship, identity, and the power of ordinary people in an extraordinary world. The result is a charming, crowd-pleasing Oz cinematic universe that feels nostalgic, magical, and packed with big personalities audiences would return to year after year.
