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7 'Wizard of Oz' Easter Eggs Hidden In 'Oz the Great and Powerful'

The tagline for "Oz the Great and Powerful" may be "The land you know, the story you don't," but that doesn't mean everything about the prequel is unfamiliar from the 1939 "The Wizard of Oz." Though Disney was unable to use many of the specific references from the classic flick due to copyright laws — sorry, no ruby slippers here  — "Oz" enthusiasts need not fear. The new movie has Easter eggs galore for fans of the original Dorothy Garland film, if only you know where to look.

Ahead, seven "The Wizard of Oz" Easter eggs buried in "Oz the Great and Powerful."

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

1. Horsing Around

While walking on the Yellow Brick Road, Oz (played by James Franco) and Finley, a flying monkey (voiced by Zach Braff), pass a herd of multi-colored horses, i.e. "a horse of a different color."

2. He's the Baum

At the beginning of the film, Oz is making a living shaking down carnival patrons at his dupe of a magic show. The circus company he travels with is called "Baum Brothers Circus," a reference to Oz series author L. Frank Baum.

3. Dressed for the Occasion

"What is that, gingham?" Oz asks Annie (Michelle Williams, playing The One That Got Away) of her dress, a wink at Dorothy's iconic blue gingham frock in "The Wizard of Oz."

4. The Life of John Gale

"John Gale has asked me to marry him," Annie tells Oz, which could mean that she's Dorothy's mother, or at the very least a close branch on the family tree. By the time "The Wizard of Oz" rolls around, Dorothy lives with Auntie Em and Uncle Henry. Perhaps Williams' dual role — both Annie and the witch Glinda — will be further explored in the sequel to "Oz the Great and Powerful," already in the works.

5. The Crow

Though your favorite singing, brainless, hay-filled scarecrow doesn't make an appearance, some of his kin do: In order to fight the Wicked Witch, denizens of Oz build a decoy army of — you guessed it — brainless scarecrows.

6. What a Witch

Though certain details like the Wicked Witch's infamous chin mole had to be excluded from the "Oz" origin story for copyright purposes, certain turns of phrase still made their way in. Keep a close ear, and you'll catch the Wicked Witch dubbing someone "my pretty"  and then letting loose that signature cackle.

7. Lion's Diss

Another sly workaround on Disney's part: Though they couldn't come right out and call it the Cowardly Lion, having Oz yell "you coward" at a fleeing lion more than qualifies as a shout-out to the original hit.

Catch an Easter egg that we missed? Was there a Tin Man to be found anywhere in the new movie? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter.

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