ABC is casting three characters for the Once Upon a Time Wonderland Spinoff: Alice, Amahl, and the Knave.
Alice: "a British twentysomething, is young but has already had a hard life and carries some emotional scars. Though she tries to hide it, she has a generous heart".
Amahl: " who is Middle Eastern, attractive and soulful. Though he's optimistic, which gives him a Zen dreaminess, he has an inner fire".
The Knave: "who is a loner and a heartbreaker. This man of action is loyal and possesses a strong moral center, despite his swagger".
Source: E!Online
Alice: "a British twentysomething, is young but has already had a hard life and carries some emotional scars. Though she tries to hide it, she has a generous heart".
Amahl: " who is Middle Eastern, attractive and soulful. Though he's optimistic, which gives him a Zen dreaminess, he has an inner fire".
The Knave: "who is a loner and a heartbreaker. This man of action is loyal and possesses a strong moral center, despite his swagger".
Source: E!Online
I thought this was just and ~ idea and wouldn't happen this year, if ever?
ReplyDeleteSounds to me like "the Knave" might be a casting code name for Hatter.
ReplyDeleteNot really code for anything.... "Knave" is another name for "Jack".... ie. Jack of Hearts can also be called the Knave of Hearts.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea there was going to be a spinoff. OMG!!!
ReplyDeleteIt was already a dumb idea since they can't seem to get once upon a time right, but abc only sees money.
ReplyDeleteNot to sure about this... I wanted Alice on OUAT, not sure if I will watch this one
ReplyDeleteDidn't ABC say they weren't going forward with this?
ReplyDeleteFail.
ReplyDeletehuh they chose some boring characters i don't think they should have done a spinoff but i'll watch anyway it could be good
ReplyDeleteDidn't know this was an idea to be honest I like this OUAT I don't want another show like it. One is enough!
ReplyDeleteNo,they said they weren't re-casting The Mad Hatter..
ReplyDeletePrecisely. Why concentrate on the show you have running, that is currently facing some major plot issues? Nah, let's just make more money by spinning off Wonderland, having to recast the Mad Hatter, enrage the fandom and possibly screw up OUAT for good.
ReplyDeleteWow, so I guess the pilot is actually happening.
ReplyDeleteActually, they've said they're definitely not recasting the Mad Hatter. Plus, I have to say that the plot issues in Once (and I'll admit there have been a few this season) are beginning to be tied up nicely.
ReplyDeleteI doubt that "the Knave" is really his name, but I don't think they're going to go back on their previous announcement that they're not recasting the Hatter.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there will be crossovers.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea, but only if the show is "truly" a spin-off.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be fun if it expands on the over all mythology and if we have characters that could cross paths and or episodes that could cross over (if it does center around Wonderland, I could see how more of Cora's back story could be exposed to us.) I would love an episode where Alice might have to go to Storybrooke to get something she needs, especially since they say they are not recasting Sebastian Stan (although, because this acts as a sequel to the books, then we might not need to rely on the Mad Hatter we could have a lot of "new" characters in Wonderland). It would be nice if there are minor characters in ONCE that maybe play a bigger role in this...
At least this way they won't be dealing with two completely different mythologies, which might have happened if their other jamanjii-like show would have been produced/picked up.
I think you can't blame the writers here, as I think this is something ABC is pushing for.
They also said they are NOT recasting Sebastian Stan, the report was allegedly false.
ReplyDeleteThere are Knaves in the novels and we actually see Cora's "The Knave of Hearts" in Once "Hat Trick"...
ReplyDeleteTrue.
ReplyDeleteI'm having a hard enough time trying to stay interested in Once,i doubt i will be watching the spin-off,at least not right away...
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, I think given what "Once" has done, that they will give him another name like "Jack" or something and that Knave is more like his profession, as The Mad Hatter is also called Jefferson in more than one reality (not exclusive to Storybrooke).
ReplyDeleteYea exactly, Alice & Cinderella were always my favourite fairy tales, kind of sad they are not in OUAT (with the exception of the stand alone Cinderella ep in S1). But I am excited to see where they will go with Alice, I hope they go for the Lewis Caroll/Disney look rather than the CGI live version they had with Depp, as much as I loved it.. it didn't feel like Alice to me.
ReplyDeleteIf it's a sequel to the books, then it most likely takes place "parallel" to Once current story (when it starts) because "The Queen of Hearts" is something (in the books) is featured in the first Novel Alice Adventures in Wonderland (cards-like The Knave) and then the second novel "Through the Looking Glass" features "The Red Queen" (chess)...
ReplyDeleteI think they have a lot of options since they haven't really given us much history in Wonderland, except that Cora was The Queen of Hearts for a time, Jefferson brings people back and forth, and that Jacquelyn ("Jack") slayed a Jabberwocky there and given a piece of mushroom, seemingly at the time Cora was there.
But we don't understand Cora's desire to be queen there, or "how" it happened, let alone if she rivaling with another "Red" or "White" queen and if it was on again off again? It could be that it ties into "Through The Looking Glass" and just goes beyond it.
I'll guess we'll know for sure when ever we get more casting calls...
It won't be ready in time for fall they say. So I'm thinking either Mid-season, or the following TV season. So I don't think we'll be seeing it too soon!
ReplyDeleteSome wonder if "Amahl" might be Aladdin. (and when I think about the Genie/Magic mirror thing with Regina and Snow's father, it would be interesting if they mix the Arabic stuff with Wonderland stuff, give Cora's history with it.
They're coining it like "American Horror Story meets Wonderland"....sounds like Once Upon A Time with FRINGE events if you ask me! I mean if they cast somebody like John Noble in some BIG role, I will be "sold".
It would be really cool if Cora could be a major villain in the Wonderland spin-off. Then again, as you pointed out, there are plenty of other options where characters are concerned. It seems like this spin-off isn't getting a lot of love so far (probably because of those unfortunate rumors about recasting Jeffesron), but I'm really looking forward to it. I hope it's a success.
ReplyDeleteI agree on the look; the Tim Burton version was too dark and gaudy. I'd prefer a more artistic, Victorian feel. OUAT's treatment of Cinderella bothered me as well; given how significant that story is, you'd think they could have worked it in more prominently than that one episode.
ReplyDeleteYeah, you're probably right. I think he is a Knave, but he may also be some other significant character from the original stories at the same time. Maybe he's even the rabbit. Though that would be a little weird...
ReplyDeleteIt could be a hit or miss, but I am hopeful it will be able to carry it's own weight, but yet also be a treat for Once viewers from time to time. I'll be more interested when we get roles cast! :)
ReplyDeleteThey are beginning to solve some problems, true enough, but numbers are still down and they should concentrate on S3. Not recasting the Mat Hatter is a good thing, but does that mean Sebastian won't show up or that he will be a regular on the show, if it gets picked by ABC?
ReplyDeleteGood question, and not one that's been answered by the producers yet. I think all we know for sure at this point is that when the Hatter appears, in either show, he will always be played by Stan. That may not be very often, but there won't be any recasting, and I doubt the character will ever be written out completely. In any event, the Hatter's role won't be as central as early press reports on the spin-off seemed to imply; sounds like it will be mostly about Alice.
ReplyDeleteAlso, while you're right about the raw numbers being lower for Once this year, the show is still doing very well in the 18-49 demographic, as well as having excellent Live + 7-Day ratings. That pretty much guarantees them a third season. Better plotting would probably ensure better ratings, however, and there are some mistakes they made this year which I would rather not see repeated in Season 3. Mainly, no more filler episodes. Every story needs to count. The episodes with the werewolf clan, Frankenstein's brother, and the giant were all pretty superfluous. Also, they let that Greg Mendell subplot dangle way too long, and have pretty much let the character development for Belle and for Ruby stagnate completely. There's a Belle-centric episode coming, which is good, but if Ruby is going to remain nothing more than Henry's babysitter and the local waitress, there was no point in upgrading her to a main cast member. I can understand why Meghan Ory is accepting a starring role on a different show.
Wow,the thought of AHS coming to Wonderland is a scary thought,lol..but i'd probably watch it...If they got John Noble you what i'd be watching!
ReplyDeleteSure,anytime! :)
ReplyDeleteSince I'm spattering on with wish fulfillment here, I think they have potential to also "tag" on more Arthurian Legend since the books not only have relativity to Victorian England, but Medieval England as well! (and if Anna Torv could get cast, that wouldn't hurt either!)
ReplyDeleteAnna! Your Killing Me Here!!!!!!! lol... ;)
ReplyDeleteProbably it means he won't be a regular, but naturally they'll want him to show up at least once.
ReplyDeleteI slightly disagree because Frankenstein is important thematically, as he both represents the struggles with different kinds of quantum mechanics and a universal underlying themes about dealing with loss and life extension, which is at the core roots of the villain character's pursuits, as the season looked at life extension on many levels (sleeping curse, Zombies, demented incarnations (Daniel/Whales brother), Immortality (Rumple, Gold, Killian, and Bae) all leading to 'eternal' youth (Neverland).
ReplyDeleteRuby's episode was also thematic. Her situation with her mother and 'pack' mirrored Emma's relationship with Snow and Regina's relationship with Cora. The whole bringing people back from the dead aspect, like with Daniel and Whale's brother, are also kinds of "convergences" which also thematic this season and to the series, as the characters struggle with two persona's in the breaking of the curse ("we are both"), so did we see this with Regina in "Welcome to Storybrooke" (which the curse is type of two corporeal reality convergence between two realities), which can also be synonymous with "shapeshifter", which Ruby and Cora are both "types" of.
I think they have done a good job at creating things that seem meaningless, only to have it all crashing down and turn on it's head for the end of the season.
You point out a lot of interesting things I never really thought of. A lot of people might sideline this series as being shallower than Lost, never really plumbing the philosophical depths reached by that show, but I would have to disagree. There's so much fascinating stuff in this program about deep themes like good and evil, love, etc. I thought Cora's final scene was particularly powerful in this sense.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! :D
ReplyDeleteYeah - admittedly, that's easier to do with this show than with Lost, where everything was so mysterious. The very enigmatic nature of that show sparked a ton of discussion. In Once, things appear to be a lot clearer on the surface, making the hidden depths easier to miss. That's not actually a criticism, as I enjoy this show more than Lost in many ways, but I think it leads some people to dismiss Once too quickly.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy it too! I feel like we get a "Hugo" episode every episode, because the fantasy/huge family aspect with the super darkness of it makes it feel manic. There's a cheeky comedy to it at times that takes away from the "mystery" of it (just like you said) and it makes it easier to follow, but harder see through unless one is really willing to look.
ReplyDelete