Going Down the Rabbit Hole to Wonderland

On October 10, the new spin-off series Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, from the writers of Lost and the creators of Once Upon a Time [that would be Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, will debut on ABC.

The series, of course, is loosely based around the legendary fairytale Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. But this version will have the Kitsis-Horowtiz twist, taking place in the same universe as its predecessor Once Upon a Time in present-day Wonderland as well as flashbacks to pre-curse Wonderland and Victorian England.

The special arrangement for this new series is that it was given a set 13 episode order, but received an undisclosed amount of additional episodes as Kitsis and Horowitz already have the first full season planned out. Should the show do well enough during its debut run, then ABC has the option to renew the show for another limited-run season.

Young Alice (newcomer Sophie Lowe) tells a tale of a strange new land that exists on the other side of a rabbit hole to doctors at the Victorian England mental institution for which her father sent her. The story she tells consist of an invisible cat (the Cheshire Cat) [to be voiced by Keith David], a hookah smoking caterpillar (to be voice punk rocker legend Iggy Pop) and playing-cards that talk among other fantastical things she’s seen during her impossible adventure.

The world of Wonderland also introduced Alice to the mysterious Cyrus (newcomer Peter Gadiot), a handsome genie who claims her heart, but is taken from her (presumably falling to his death off a high cliff before her very eyes) by the evil Red Queen (Australian actress Emma Rigby).

Back in Alice’s real world, her doctors (one of whom will be played by Alcatraz alum Jonny Coyne) believe they can cure her with a treatment that will make her forget all about Wonderland, but before that procedure can happen the Knave of Hearts (Michael Socha, from the UK’s Being Human) arrives along with the White Rabbit (to be voiced by John Lithgow), claiming that Cyrus may very well be alive.

The series will then focus on the White Rabbit, Alice and the Knave returning to Wonderland to find Cyrus, battle the Red Queen and face down the villainous Jafar (Lost alum Naveen Andrews).

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland will air its series premiere on ABC at 8/7c so make sure to tune in and go down the rabbit hole with Alice.