The sneak peak, below, from the Season 3 premiere was shown at Disney’s D23 Expo. It shows Rumpelstiltskin in Neverland, confronting one of the lost boys — who does something that makes Rumple cry. (Editing to add 10/1/13: The sneak peek video is no longer available. See a clip of the scene (and a poll) here: Why did Rumpelstiltskin cry when he saw the doll?)
What is the significance of the doll? This may be the season’s first mystery.
Another LOST alumni joins the OUAT family of shows. Naveen Andrews, the British actor who played Sayid in LOST, will be joining Once:Wonderland from its very first episode, airing Thursday, October 10, 2013, at 8 pm. This is his first role on U.S. television since LOST.
He will play Jafar, who was the villain in Disney’s 1992 film Aladdin. In the interview in the video below, which took place at ComicCon, Naveen says that Jafar has a “rather dark and twisted agenda that will affect all the characters in the show.” The interviewer asks, “But maybe a soft side?” Naveen answers, “That remains to be seen.”
I never saw Disney’s Aladdin, but I found a 10-minute clip on YouTube, which I’ve posted below. I think Naveen Andrews is perfect for the part — I can absolutely see him playing this character.
So now we know that Once:Wonderland, just like Once:Original, is going to be creating mashups of characters taken from different stories and films. Much as I’m glad to know that Naveen Andrews will be back on our TVs, and as fantastic as I think he will be in this role, I’m not so sure I want to see extraneous Disney characters brought into the Alice stories. I guess the spinoff will be more like the original show, at least in that respect, than I had expected.
Unless I’m forgetting someone, the LOST alumni count at this point including Naveen is five. In the original OUAT, there’s Alan Dale (Charles Widmore/King George), Jorge Garcia (Hurley/Anton the Giant), Lana Parrilla (guest role as an Other in LOST Season 3/Regina), and Emilie de Ravin (Claire/Belle).
Cast members and producers from both Once Upon a Time and the new spin-off, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, will be holding panel discussions and press interviews on Saturday, July 20, 2013, at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. Specific times and locations haven’t been announced yet, so stay tuned.
This looks very good! Much better than I had expected from the show’s description. Great chemistry between the romantic leads. Sinister doctors. Lots of tension. I’m drawn in — and rooting for Alice — already! What about you?
(Editing to add: If you can’t see the trailer, there’s another copy in the comments below, which should play on more systems.)
