Simply over 98 years in the past, Walt Disney and animator Ub Iwerks co-created Oswald the Fortunate Rabbit, the cartoon predecessor of Mickey Mouse. Whereas Oswald has by no means absolutely recaptured the recognition he loved in his authentic 1927-1929 run, Disney is about get behind this traditional character in a giant method with a brand new authentic sequence on Disney+.
As reported by Deadline, The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau will write and produce the Oswald the Fortunate Rabbit sequence. It’s at the moment unclear if the present will likely be animated or a mix of live-action and animation like Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Both method, Favreau has loads of expertise with each because the director of The Lion King and Jungle E-book remakes, in addition to the primary two Iron Man films that outlined the MCU. Favreau has additionally directed The Mandalorian and Groguthe following Star Wars film, which can hit theaters in Could 2026.
Disney’s 26 Oswald shorts had been initially distributed by Common Footage, however he was compelled out of his personal profitable sequence partly as a result of he didn’t personal the character. Disney and Iwerks discovered better success with Mickey, whereas Oswald finally languished in Common’s vault for many years.
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In 2006, on the insistence of CEO Bob Iger, Disney initiated a commerce with NBC/Common that noticed the rights to Oswald revert to the corporate based by his creator in alternate for the providers of sportscaster Al Michaels. Subsequently, Oswald has been slowly built-in into the Disney theme parks together with his personal merchandise and solid members in costume because the character for meet-and-greet images.
One of many explanation why Iger wished Oswald underneath the Disney umbrella was for the 2010 online game, Epic Mickeywhich was just lately re-mastered as Epic Mickey Rebrushed. In that sport, Mickey is trapped in a wasteland the place he discovers that Oswald and different long-forgotten characters have been banished and forgotten. Mickey and Oswald’s shared creator made them unofficial brothers, and so they reconciled their variations earlier than teaming up within the sequel, Epic Mickey 2: The Energy of Two.
A brand new Oswald the Fortunate Rabbit brief was launched in 2023, however the brand new sequence is well essentially the most distinguished function that the character has had since his return. Nonetheless, the character has additionally entered the general public area, which has allowed filmmakers to create an unauthorized horror slasher referred to as Oswald: Down the Rabbit Gap.
