The movie is based on the second and third of L. Frank Baum's Oz books: "The Marvelous Land of Oz" and "Ozma of Oz". Elements from the former include the introduction of Jack Pumpkinhead, the witch Mombi and her powder of life, the conquest of the Emerald City, the escape by flying sofa, and the search for Princess Ozma. From the latter comes the return of Dorothy, the talking chicken Billina, the Wheelers, the discovery of Tik-Tok, a princess with interchangeable heads, the introduction of the Nome King, and the ornament room.
In order to include the ruby slippers as part of this film, Disney had to pay royalties to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), the studio which had produced The Wizard of Oz (1939). The ruby slippers did not appear in L. Frank Baum's original novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"; they were invented for the 1939 film to better take advantage of the newly developed Technicolor process. Interestingly enough, in "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," Dorothy wore a pair of magical silver shoes which were lost when she used them to return to Kansas. In the subsequent novel "Ozma of Oz," one of the books on which this film is based, Dorothy and her friends meet the Nome King who possesses a magical belt with properties similar to those of the silver shoes. Early drafts of the script for Return to Oz reflect this, with the Nome King cutting up the ruby slippers to make his magical ruby belt.
Cartoonist Tim Burton has acknowledged Jack Pumpkinhead as an inspiration for the iconic character Jack Skellington in नाइटमेयर बिफोर क्रिसमस (1993).
Disney actually fired director Walter Murch about a week into production due to budget concerns. The studio found dailies lacking and Murch's slow shooting pace disheartening. Murch contacted friends Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas for help, and all three directors lobbied Disney to rehire Murch. Lucas even offered to take over directing himself should Murch fall behind schedule. Murch finished the film on schedule, though while in post-production studio management changed. The new executives had little faith in the movie, and doomed it with limited promotion and a short theatrical run.
Fairuza Balk: [witches] This is one of several Fairuza Balk movies which involve witches. Others include The Worst Witch (1986) and द क्राफ्ट (1996).