Oz movie was filmed in director's hometown

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PONTIAC, Mich., March 3 (UPI) -- Sam Raimi, the director of "Oz the Great and Powerful," to be released Friday, said he asked Disney to film the movie in his Michigan hometown.

Disney wanted to film the $200 million movie in Vancouver to avoid the high costs of filming in California, the Detroit Free Press said.

But Raimi, who directed "The Evil Dead" and the "Spider-man" trilogy, suggested his hometown of Pontiac, Mich., and Disney agreed.

Shooting started at the Michigan Motion Picture Studios in July 2011 and wrapped up in December, the Free Press said.

Raimi said he fell in love with the story, which puts a twist on the original characters without changing the original story.

Raimi also told the Free Press that he wanted to make the movie a family film.

"I'm a parent, and I tried to bring it to the point where I could still bring my kids and they would really like it. They wouldn't get too scared, but that it had a little bit of edge for them, too, because the boys like to have a little bit of edge. I tried to find that balance," he said.