The Once Upon a Time spin-off is quickly taking shape as ABC closes in on the start of filming for the pilot. Some major casting has been announced, including who’s going to voice the White Rabbit and which actress is playing the Red Queen.
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A big name star is joining the spin-off, now called Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (previously known as Once: Wonderland), and it’s none other than Pee-Wee Herman himself, Paul Reubens. According to Deadline, he will be providing the voice of the White Rabbit, a completely CG character. In the 2010 big screen adaptation of Alice in Wonderland directed by Tim Burton, Michael Sheen lent his voice for the same character.
Emma Rigby, a British actress known from her role on Hollyoaks in the UK, is also joining the pilot (or what is being called a four-scene presentation), as the Red Queen, the playing card from the Lewis Carroll novel Through the Looking Glass, played by Helena Bonham Carter on the big screen. In the book, the Red Queen is also known as Iracebeth, “has a short temper and is merciless against her enemies and those who have betrayed her.”
These announcements come on the heels of additional casting for the Knave of Hearts (who is being played by Michael Socha), Alice’s love interest Cyrus (Peter Gadiot) and of course Alice herself (Australian actress Sophie Lowe), who will be the lead character in Wonderland.
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There’s a chance that Barbara Hershey, who plays Cora (the Queen of Hearts) on OUaT, may join the spin-off, but it’s unlikely anything will be made official until after the pilot is picked up by ABC. Co-creator Eddy Kitsis told TVLine, “You will see [Wonderland] both post- and pre-curse. It will be very similar to Once in that there will be flashbacks of these new characters that take us to pre-curse Wonderland.” It is in these flashbacks where viewers will likely see Cora make an appearance. “We can’t imagine visiting that time in Wonderland and not seeing Cora as the Queen of Hearts,” co-creator Adam Horowitz says.
As we previously reported on, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland will use an American Horror Story-like format of 13 episodes with a beginning, middle and end to the story. It’s expected to air during OUaT‘s winter hiatus next season if picked up. Filming for the four-scene presentation begins April 7 in Vancouver.
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(Image courtesy of WENN)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
Jeff Dodge, a graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena.
