Once Upon a Time season 3 will be heading to the new magical world of Neverland. And, it’s not the Neverland you were introduced to in your childhood.
Executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and actors Robert Carlyle, Michael Raymond-James and Colin O’Donoghue discussed the upcoming season at San Diego Comic-Con. Beware there may be a few spoilers!
Check out the full video interviews.
Executive Producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz Interview
Highlights from the interview:
- “Neverland had mermaids.” They always wanted Ariel and saved her for Neverland. How she got to Neverland will be revealed in the first 11 episodes.
- The Grumpy-Ariel video is not canon. It was just a promotional video to show that she would be appearing on OUaT season 3. The show wasn’t in production yet, so it was a fun video to introduce Ariel.
- The balance between Storybrooke and Neverland: At first the season will be Neverland heavy, but Storybrooke will have a presence. And, both stories will meet.
- The beginning of the season will focus on Neverland and those people on the ship. The season will be more focused, so some characters may not be seen each episode.
- In addition to Ariel, Tinker Bell will show up and Peter Pan in Neverland. Not many other new characters this season. Robin Hood will show up again.
- There will still be flashbacks in season 3, but not in the season premiere. In episode 2, it’s a Snow-Charming-Evil Queen flashback similar to from season 1. Then the flashbacks are: episode 3 is Regina, episode 4 is Rumple, and episode 5 is Hook.
- There are two crossovers, but both appear on Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.
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Michael Raymond-James (Baelfire/Neal) and Colin O’Donoghue (Hook) Interview
Highlights from the interview:
- Michael and Colin have fun with the question about whether Neal or Hook should be involved with Emma.
- “If they were to have a debate it would be spirited one.” – Raymond-James
- Season 3 picks up right where season 2 ended. Everyone is trying to get to Neverland.
- On the ship, there are three villains and three “goodies.” And, they have to work together for the “greater good” to find Henry.
- Neal’s only been a dad for three days when this happens. All Neal has ever wanted is a family.
- “The ends justify the means.” Neal will use magic if necessary.
- Is Neal magical? Bae didn’t have any magic when his dad became the dark one. He wanted his dad. If Neal has any magic in him, he doesn’t know it.
- Peter Pan is not a nice guy. “Nobody seems to have anything good to say about Peter Pan.” – O’Donoghue
- Neverland is full of characters that you expect to see there and a magical place. It’s dark. The Lost Boys are different than have come before.
- Hook never wanted to go back to Neverland. He was glad when he left.
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Robert Carlyle (Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold) Interview
Highlights from the interview:
- Gold is a conflicted character. Does he want to be a good man? Or, does he want to have babies with Belle? If he was, that would be the death of his character.
- Carlyle hopes that he didn’t alienate any of the audience when Gold used the cane to beat Moe. He thinks they will get away from that in Neverland because it’s a different place.
- In the finale, Gold appeared to saying lets work together, but in the season 3 premiere that’s not what he said. And, if you go back and watch it again, you’ll see he never actually said it.
- “I had to go back and look at [the finale] and actually he didn’t.” – Carlyle
- Gold is on his own mission. “The only way he can honor his son’s memory is to find his son.” It doesn’t matter that his grandson may be his undoing.
- At the beginning of season 3, Gold is trying to do the right thing even if it means his own death.
- “Rumplestiltskin and Belle will meet in season 3 and in Neverland, but it may not be in the fashion that you think.”
- Gold wants to kill a lot of people. His goal is to find Henry. Sacrifice himself.
- Carlyle has loved to play Rumple/Gold’s journey. He believes that Gold is one of the most real characters. He’s conflicted which is realistic.
- “I surmise that may well be the case.” on the possibility that the “undoing” is a positive rather than a negative outcome for Rumple/Gold.
- If Rumple’s duplicity and blood lust was taken away that would take away a lot from the show and Carlyle doesn’t think that will happen any time soon.
- On the ship going to Neverland, Gold is wearing a suit. Carlyle laughed and said that in the premiere Gold is doing something in the hull of the ship and it might have something to do with that.
Once Upon a Time season 3 premieres Sunday, September 29 at 9 pm ET on ABC.
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(Image courtesy of ABC and Video: Carla Day.)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Contributing Editor and Writer for Collider, BuddyTV, TV Fanatic, CliqueClack, and other publications. TV criticism, reviews, interviews with actors and producers, and other related content. Founder of TV Diehard.
