Once Upon A Time - Episode 3.20 - Kansas - Press Release

"Kansas" - With Mary Margaret in labor and due to give birth at any moment, the residents of Storybrooke go on high alert in an attempt to ensure that Zelena doesn't try to steal her newborn baby for use in her ultimate game plan to turn back time and change her destiny -- while obliterating Regina's existence. Meanwhile, in the land of Oz of the past, Glinda tries to convince Zelena to fight her evil tendencies and join her and her sister witches as a protector of Oz. But the appearance of a young girl from Kansas could turn out to be her undoing, on "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, MAY 4 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"Once Upon a Time" stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen/Regina, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David, Emilie de Ravin as Belle, Colin O'Donoghue as Hook, Michael Raymond-James as Baelfire/Neal Cassidy, Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills and Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold.

Guest starring are Lee Arenberg as Leroy/Grumpy, David Anders as Dr. Whale, Raphael Sbarge as Archie Hopper/Jiminy Cricket, Rebecca Mader as Zelena, Gabe Khouth as Mr. Clark/Sneezy, Sunny Mabrey as Glinda, Sean Maguire as Robin Hood, Jason Burkart as Little John, Sharon Taylor as Witch of East, Karen Holness as Witch of North and Matreya Scarrwener as Dorothy.

"Kansas" was written by Andrew Chambliss & Kalinda Vazquez and directed by Gwyneth Horder-Payton.

Once Upon a Time 3x20 - Kansas Promo

Dorothy Gale!!!

May Sweeps Scoopapalooza

                   ONCE UPON A TIME

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | ABC's fantastical drama opens its sweeps run April 27, with an episode that "answers an enormous amount of questions," cocreator Eddy Kitsis promises. Among them: Who cast the new curse and why? And what else is Hook hiding about his remembered year? And though the Storybrooke heroes seem to have the Wicked Witch's time-traveling agenda figured out, "There's an additional surprise element to what's coming," says cocreator Adam Horowitz. "It becomes more than it appeared at first blush." On May 4, the episode "Kansas" serves up more Oz-based mythology (and iconography) as well as introduces us to the show's take on Dorothy. All of that, Kitsis says, "will open the door to a new adventure that leads to the two-hour finale." Exclusive bonus scooplet: Someone you thought you'd seen the last of puts in one more appearance, and soon.

MAY 11 SEASON FINALE (2 HOURS) | The double pump of "Snow Drifts" and "There's No Place Like Home" is "not just two episodes crammed together in one night," says Kitsis. "It was written as a two-hour movie, and it will not only complete the arc of this season, but it will absolutely set up next season" - akin to how last May, the gang set course for Neverland. "We're not getting on a boat this time," Horowitz quips, "but seeds for Season 4 are planted." As is a ring on someone's finger. "There will be a wedding," Kitsis affirms, adding... well, nothing. (But we tried!)

Once Upon a Time - Episode 3.19 - A Curious Thing - Press Release

"A Curious Thing" - Zelena threatens to kill Henry if Hook - whose lips have been cursed by the Wicked Witch -- doesn't proceed with kissing Emma, which will drain all of her magical powers away, and things begin to heat up between Regina and Robin Hood. Meanwhile, back in the Fairy Tale Land that was during the past year, Snow and Charming go in search of Glinda, The Good Witch of the South, to see if she can help them defeat Zelena, and the curse that will ultimately send the Fairy Tale characters back to Storybrooke is cast -- but from an unlikely source, on "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, APRIL 27 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"Once Upon a Time" stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen/Regina, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David, Emilie de Ravin as Belle, Colin O'Donoghue as Hook, Michael Raymond-James as Baelfire/Neal Cassidy, Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills and Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold.

Guest starring are Lee Arenberg as Leroy/Grumpy, Beverley Elliott as Granny, Sarah Bolger as Aurora, Rebecca Mader as Zelena, Sunny Mabrey as Glinda, Julian Morris as Prince Phillip, Sean Maguire as Robin Hood and Christopher Gauthier as Smee.

"A Curious Thing" was written by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and directed by Ralph Hemecker.

Wondercon 2014

  

Adam Horowitz & Edward Kitsis

 

Josh Dallas

 

Rebecca Mader

Once Upon a Time 3x19 "A Curious Thing" Promo

Once Upon A Time - Episode 3.18 - Bleeding Through - Press Release

AFTER ZELENA STEALS HER HEART, REGINA CASTS A SPELL IN AN ATTEMPT TO SPEAK ACROSS THE REALMS WITH HER DEAD MOTHER CORA TO DISCOVER THE TRUTH AS TO WHY SHE ABANDONED ZELENA AND IN THE FAIRY TALE LAND OF THE PAST, YOUNG CORA MUST KEEP HER PREGNANCY A SECRET OR RISK LOSING A LIFE OF ROYALTY, ON ABC’S “ONCE UPON A TIME”

Rose McGowan (“Charmed”) Guest Stars as Young Cora

“Bleeding Through” – After Zelena steals Regina's heart, Regina casts a spell so that she can speak across the realms to her dead mother, Cora, to discover the truth about why she abandoned Zelena, and Belle stumbles across what Zelena's ultimate end game is. Meanwhile, in the Fairy Tale Land that was, young Cora is duped by a man claiming to be a prince and finds herself alone and pregnant. But a chance meeting with a real prince could lead Cora to the royal life she's always craved, but she must keep her pregnancy a secret or risk losing everything, on “Once Upon a Time,” SUNDAY, APRIL 20 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

“Once Upon a Time” stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen/Regina, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David, Emilie de Ravin as Belle, Colin O’Donoghue as Hook, Michael Raymond-James as Baelfire/Neal Cassidy, Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills and Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold.

Guest starring are Rose McGowan as young Cora, Rebecca Mader as Zelena, Sean Maguire as Robin Hood, David De Lautour as Jonathan, Eric Lange as Prince Leopold, Eva Bourne as Princess Eva, Steve Elliott as drunk, Yvette Dudley-Neuman as mid-wife, Brian Knox McGugan as drunk Charlie’s friend, Raphael Alejandro as Roland, Michael P. Northey as Friar Tuck and Gabrielle Giraud as royal aide.

”Bleeding Through” was written by Daniel T. Thomsen & Jane Espenson and directed by Romeo Tirone.

Once Upon a Time 3x18 Promo "Bleeding Through"

Once Upon A Time - Episode 3.17 - The Jolly Roger - Press Release

ARIEL PLEADS WITH HOOK TO HELP HER FIND PRINCE ERIC, AND EMMA AGREES TO LET REGINA TEACH HER HOW TO USE MAGIC TO HELP DEFEAT ZELENA, ON ABC’S "ONCE UPON A TIME"

JoAnna Garcia Swisher Guest Stars as Ariel
“The Jolly Roger” – Ariel returns to Storybrooke and pleads with Hook to help her find Prince Eric, who never returned to the town when the new curse was invoked. Emma agrees to let Regina teach her how to use magic so that she can help defeat Zelena, and Mary Margaret and David try to prove that they can be just as much fun as Hook is with Henry -- who thinks they are boring. Meanwhile, in Fairy Tale Land during the past year, an angry Ariel confronts Hook over her missing Prince Eric, who she assumes was kidnapped and possibly killed by the swarthy pirate. But when Hook confesses that the Jolly Roger has been stolen and Eric is most likely the thief’s prisoner, Ariel unknowingly provides him with a clue as to who the culprit is, and Hook – with Ariel in tow - goes off in search of his ship, on “Once Upon a Time,” SUNDAY, APRIL 13 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

“Once Upon a Time” stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen/Regina, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David, Emilie de Ravin as Belle, Colin O’Donoghue as Hook, Michael Raymond-James as Baelfire/Neal Cassidy, Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills and Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold.

Guest starring are Beverley Elliott as Granny, Rebecca Mader as Zelena, Christopher Gauthier as Smee, JoAnna Garcia Swisher as Ariel, Gil McKinney as Prince Eric, Charles Mesure as Black Beard, JC Williams as lead guard and Jessa Danielson as wench.

The Jolly Roger” was written by David H. Goodman and directed by Ernest Dickerson.

Rebecca Mader Talks ONCE UPON A TIME, Playing the Wicked Witch, Broomstick Action, Working with Episode Director Mario Van Peebles,and More

 Episode 16 of Once Upon A Time (called “It’s Not Easy Being Green”), the wicked Zelena (Rebecca Mader) challenges Regina (Lana Parrilla) to a fight to the death and reveals their shocking familial connection.  Meanwhile back in the past in the land of Oz, viewers will get a greater understanding of the Wicked Witch and learn about why she’s so upset, why she’s seeking vengeance, why she’s become green, and why she’s become wicked.

During this recent exclusive phone interview with Collider, actress Rebecca Mader talked about how much fun she’s having playing the Wicked Witch, how no one should want to get caught in the crossfire of the wicked vs. evil duel, getting to do all of her own broomstick action, what it’s like to put the green make-up and the witch’s hat on, having no allies to turn to, working with Mario Van Peebles as the episode’s director, finding her own version of this character, what it’s like to join a pre-existing hit, much like she did previously with Lost, keeping story secrets, and just how much she knew about her character’s journey ahead of time.  Check out what she had to say after the jump, and be aware that there are some spoilers. 

Collider:  You must be having so much fun playing the Wicked Witch.
REBECCA MADER:  It’s very, very true.  I’m having a lot of fun with this part, definitely.

Now that Zelena’s true identity is out there, what can you say to tease what comes next?
MADER:  Well, there’s a big showdown coming, which is going to be really fun to watch.  It’s a Wild West, old school, one-on-one fight between evil and wicked, and I think the fans are really looking forward to seeing that.

What does a wicked vs. evil duel look like?  Should everyone in Storybrooke be a bit frightened about that? 
MADER:  I would rather watch it from home than be there in person, that’s for sure.  I wouldn’t want to get in the crossfire.  It would be safer to watch it from home on the couch.  It’s pretty epic, I’m not gonna lie.  It was like shooting a film.  It’s a bit scene.

How was it to shoot that big showdown?  Do you enjoy getting to do that type of physical work and effects work?  Was it just a monster to shoot?
MADER:  It was a huge monster.  The stunt team on this show are amazing.  The stunt coordinator and the people they have working on this show are amazing, but I always try to do as much of my own stunts as possible.  I love stunt work.  I love jumping around.  I’ll fling myself around.  I’ll always see if I can do it first, but if it’s a bit too dangerous, then I’ll concede and be like, “Fine, all right, I’ll sit down and watch.”  But, it’s more fun to do it yourself.  I did all of my broomstick action myself, like jumping on my broomstick and flying around, and flying up into the sky.  I did that all myself, and it was really fun.

You’ve already had some great costumes to wear, but what was it like to put the witch’s hat on?  Does it make you carry yourself different?
MADER:  Yeah, it’s such a part of it.  When you put it all together, the hat was always the last thing.  When I get dressed, I do my green make-up first, and then I start to become the character.  And then, it takes one or two people to get me into my witch’s gown.  And then, I go to set and my hair guy puts my hat on.  It’s like the pièce de résistance.  It’s the last thing that goes on, and then I’m the Wicked Witch.  It’s definitely a huge part of it.  But cut to 15 hours later when I’ve still got those pins in my hair, I’m like, “Oh, god, I can’t feel my scalp anymore.”  I forget who I am and what I look like sometimes.  I’ll be on set, and then I’ll turn around and catch a glimpse of myself and I almost scream.  It’s really scary.  When you’re in it for such a long time, you forget who you are and what you look like.  Then I see myself and I’m like, “Oh, my god, I’m green!”  It’s really shocking. 

Do you think Zelena understands the extent of Emma’s wrath, now that she’s responsible for Neal’s death, or does she believe that no one can hurt her?
MADER:  She’s feeling pretty invincible, at this point.  She’s got the dagger and she’s controlling the Dark One.  Rumple is two feet behind her.  She’s feeling pretty invincible and like Neal’s death is inconsequential, at this point. 

Is there anyone that she can turn to, as an ally, that she hasn’t, in some way, forced to be her ally, or is she just a party of one with her flying monkeys?
MADER:  Right now, it seems like she’s a bitter party of one. 

Would you say that her desire for vengeance is solely based on family drama?
MADER: You’ll see.  You’re going to get a lot of my character’s backstory and it’s going to be a lot more understandable to everybody, why she’s so upset, why she’s seeking what she’s seeking, why she’s become green, and why she’s become wicked.  I think there will be a much greater understanding of where Zelena is coming from.  

In a perfect world, do you think she would stop being so wicked, if she could get Regina’s respect and have a relationship with her, or is she just too far past redemption?
MADER:  There’s always hope for anybody to get what they want and come full circle.  But, you’ll see.

Since we’ll be getting to learn more about her time in Oz, what do you think viewers will find surprising about the Oz that will be presented on this show?
MADER: I can’t really talk about Oz, except to say that we’re going.  You’ll see me there.  And then, soon enough, you’re going to see Dorothy and you’re going to meet Glinda, tool.

What was it like to work with Mario Van Peebles, as the director of “It’s Not Easy Being Green”?
MADER:  I would need an hour to talk about working with Mario Van Peebles.  This episode is such a great episode.  It’s so wicked, for me and my character.  It was like a little mini Zelena movie.  The whole time I was shooting it, I kept thinking, “Thank god, I got Mario Van Peebles for this episode.”  He’s just so much fun to work with.  He really, really cares about your character and about finding things.  He was just right by my side, the whole time.  I felt like he held my hand through this episode.  I’m so grateful to him.  He’s such a wonderful director, and such a nice person. 

When you found out about this role, were you hesitant about taking on such an iconic character, or did it help that this version of the Wicked Witch is its own creation?
MADER:  No, I said yes to being on the show without even knowing who I was playing.  They were like, “Do you want to be on the show?,” and I was like, “Yes!”  When I found out who I was playing, I was like, “I just knew you were going to make me evil.”  I just knew the boys were going to do that.  I knew they were going to have me be someone awful and ghastly, which is great.  They never said, “We want you to play it this way or that way.”  They just said, “Go be the Wicked Witch of the West.”  I didn’t do any research.  I didn’t go back and watch anyone else’s take on it.  I haven’t watched the original movie in ages, and I saw the musical five years ago.  I just concentrated on taking the writing that they had given me, and then just put my own wickedness on it and trusted that it would work out.  And it did.  I did my own take on it with what they had written for me.

Once you found out who you’d be playing, did you ever have a moment where you stopped to wonder just how long you might be in make-up or if there would be any prosthetics involved? 
MADER:  No, not at all.  I’ve just literally had a blast.  I feel really, really grateful to have been given such a wicked opportunity.  I’ve just really, really enjoyed myself.  It’s a role that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.

You joined one popular ensemble series previously, when you did Lost, and then you joined this series.  What do you remember about how nervous you were when you started Lost, and how did that compare to your first day on Once Upon A Time?
MADER:  In a way, they were very similar.  It’s a very similar feeling when you get interjected sideways into a pre-existing hit.  It’s not like I was there from the pilot.  It’s like, “Here’s a hit show, and you’re going to enter stage left.”  That’s really odd and really wonderful, at the same time.  Another similarity between the two is that when I got Lost, I wasn’t watching it, so I had to watch 66 episodes in two and a half weeks, and then meet everybody.  It was like climbing into a TV show because I’d been knee-deep in it for weeks.  It was the same thing with Once Upon A Time.  I have a TV bucket list, and it was on my list.  So, when I got the part, I had to watch 54 episodes in two weeks.  It was the same thing, all over again.  I feel like I’ve climbed into my own television.  It’s really surreal. 

Was Lost the first time you’d worked on something so secretive, and did that really prepare you for this?
MADER:  Yeah.  These two shows are very unique and very similar, in that regard.  You have to keep things close to your chest, and I’m pretty good at that.  I’m pretty good at keeping secrets. 

Zelena’s motives for her actions have been pretty unclear, up until this point, but how much were you told about what her journey would be?
MADER:  I’ve had a couple of conversations with the boys, so I did know some of it ahead of time.  It was a mixed bag of knowing some stuff, but then finding out a lot of stuff along with the cast and crew, as the scripts were coming in.  I would mostly find out by reading it. 
Once Upon A Time airs on Sunday nights on ABC.  You can learn more about the show at www.abc.com/onceuponatime.

Lightning Round 12: Once Upon a Time Bosses Answer Your Burning Questions

Lana Parrilla, Beverley Elliott

Can the Wicked Witch be stopped? Will death strike once again?

With the battle between evil and wicked heating up on Once Upon a Time, TVGuide.com decided it's time for our 12th Lightning Round with the brain trust behind ABC's fairy-tale drama, executive producers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis.

We grabbed your fan questions off Twitter and hit up Horowitz and Kitsis for a quick round of scoop, in which the producers had the option to answer, "Yes," "No" or "Can't answer." Some of their answers, and possible non-answers, are pretty telling. Check them out below:

Will Regina's (Lana Parrilla) sleeping curse that Zelena (Rebecca Mader) stole come back into play?
Adam Horowitz: No.
Edward Kitsis: That is too easy for Zelena.

Was Zelena calling Belle (Emilie de Ravin) Mrs. Gold a hint of who gets married in the finale?
Kitsis: She was just being wicked.
Horowitz: She was just pushing her buttons.
Kitsis: She was reveling in the fact that — and this weekend we'll give you more context — she had him in a cage and she was playing this double part.

Will Regina play a role in how Henry (Jared Gilmore) gets his memories back?
Horowitz: You're assuming he does get his memories back. But she will play a role in the attempt to get his memories back.

Neal mentioned the message that Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) got. Is there a chance he sent the message?
Kitsis: There's always a chance for everything on this show.

Will we see Lumiere (Henri Lubatti) again?
Kitsis: We thought he was a fun character and would be interested to see him again next year.

Did Zelena have to sacrifice the thing she loved most to cast this curse?
Horowitz: The casting of the curse follows the exact rules that we established.
Kitsis: You always have to give up the thing you love most.
Horowitz: How the curse was cast is something we will see.
Kitsis: We will not be changing the roles for curse-casting. Someone's heart was given up.

Will it take more than a bucket of water to kill the Wicked Witch?
Horowitz: Who says we're going to kill her?

Might we already know the Wizard?
Horowitz: We might.

Will we meet Zelena's father?
Kitsis: Absolutely. In fact, you will meet Zelena's father and find out the answer to who the Wizard is this weekend.

Speaking of fathers, might we meet Hook's father?
Horowitz: Not this year.

Will we ever find out what kingdom sent Hook and his brother Liam (Bernard Curry) in search of Dreamshade?
Kitsis: Probably not.

Is there a connection between Snow's (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Aurora's (Sarah Bolger) babies?
Horowitz: They're in the same Mommy and Me.

Can Snow's baby ever be safe with Zelena around?
Kitsis: I don't see how anyone is safe with Zelena around.

Will we see any flashbacks to Emma (Jennifer Morrison) and Henry's time in NYC?
Kitsis: We will not see them again this year, but that is something that we could possibly explore next season.

By killing Neal (Michael Raymond-James), have you robbed Emma of a happy ending?
Kitsis: Yes, and she will be miserable from here on out. No! We haven't robbed anyone of anything. We've always said on this show that happy endings are something you have to work for. They don't come overnight.

Will we find out who the Black Fairy is?
Kitsis: Yeah, we'd love to show that someday.

Will the Knave (Michael Socha) rejoin Robin Hood's (Sean Maguire) merry men?
Horowitz: It's certainly possible.
Kitsis: Not this season.

Will we see other Wonderland characters come to Once?
Horowitz: It's possible. But as far as what we're planning right now, we're planning to have [just] the Knave.
Kitsis: We might see a few faces here and there at some point.
Horowitz: The story of Wonderland was always meant to be a one-year, close-ended tale. That tale is coming to a close and we're not going to be continuing those story strands on Once Upon a Time.

Is there a chance we could see a flash-forward on Once?
Horowitz: Probably not.
Kitsis: Never say never.

Will Season 4 have a new villain?
Kitsis: Of course.

Will every villain have a relation to Henry?
Horowitz: Not necessarily.

Will there be more deaths before the season ends?
Kitsis: Of course.

Once Upon a Time airs Sundays at 8/7c on ABC.

Michael Socha set to join 'Once Upon a Time' as series regular -- EXCLUSIVE

 

  

Wonderland fans, your wish is close to coming true: The Knave of Hearts is headed to Storybrooke. Actor Michael Socha is expected to join Once Upon a Time as a series regular next season.

 

This is not yet a done deal because Once Upon has not been officially renewed. While the Sunday fantasy drama is considered a lock by insiders to return, ABC hasn’t announced any of their 2014-15 pick-ups yet. When the order comes in, we’re told producers will exercise their option to bring aboard Socha, who charmed viewers on Once Upon‘s spin-off this season Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.  

When ABC confirmed they were not picking up Wonderland for a second season last week, the top upvoted comment on our story was:  “Can we at least keep Michael Socha on Once?” and the second was: “I hope some of the characters from Wonderland show up on the main show” while another was: “I will start the EW commenter petition to keep Michael Socha on Once Upon A Time: Original Recipe.” Socha played Will Scarlet/The Knave of Hearts on Wonderland this season, a sardonic adventurer, romantic, and thief who aided Alice (Sophie Lowe) and was enchanted into becoming a genie.

As for the rest of the Wonderland cast, we’re not hearing of any other names going to the flagship show, at least not at this time (given the expansive Once Upon universe, it’s best not to count anything out).