ABC moving forward with 'Once Upon A Time' spinoff
Credit: ABC
There's money in Wonderland. At least, there must be, if plans for an upcoming spinoff of ABC's hit series Once Upon A Time, set in Lewis Carroll's fantastically twisted world, is any indication.
ABC and Once Upon A Time creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis have hired writers Jane Espenson ("Once Upon A Time," "Torchwood") and Zack Estrin ("Prison Break," "The River") to help construct a spin-off series of ABC's Sunday night staple, with the series taking place in Wonderland and being told through the perspective of Alice. Kitsis and Horowitz have reportedly been volleying spin-off ideas back-and-forth for months and, originally, the plan was to build the show around the Mad Hatter (Sebastian Stan in his Once Upon A Time iteration, though the prevailing rumor, at the time, was that the role would be recast due to Stan's busy schedule). However, the idea for the series has blossomed beyond that initial concept, as Kitsis and Horowitz make the move to begin production on the pilot episode on April 7 in Vancouver, a tight deadline if ever there was one.
A recent casting breakdown lists the following roles up for grabs: Amahl, an "exotic, soulful and optimistic" character; and The Knave, "a sardonic adventurer, a man of action, a loner and a heart-breaker." The spinoff will apparently take place in a "post-curse" world, though flashbacks will also be a factor - not unlike the show's parent series, Once Upon A Time. In addition, there's a high probability of cameos from Once Upon A Time characters, particularly Cora (Barbara Hershey), who once reigned as the Queen of Hearts, for a time. Currently, the show is being considered for a summer airing, in order to bridge the spring and fall segments of Once Upon A Time's season, however, there's no word on if it will be ready in time for this summer season.
ABC is also reportedly considering an "American Horror Story"-style approach to the show, wherein each 13-episode season would present an entirely new storyline, with a beginning, middle and end, before rebooting for each subsequent season. Kitsis and Horowitz received the greenlight from ABC head Paul Lee after pitching him on the idea. The duo is currently writing a 15-20 page, four-scene presentation with input from Espenson and Estrin. If the pilot goes to series, Espenson - a consulting producer on Once Upon A Time since the very beginning - would more than likely serve as showrunner.
What do you think about this proposed series? Is this something you might be interested in seeing? Is it a useful expansion of the franchise or a bad idea all-around? Sound off in the comments!
Via: HitFix
