Disney+ is bringing us an Oswald the Lucky Rabbit television series, with Star Wars and Marvel alum Jon Favreau writing and producing the project.
According to Deadline, the series will be an animation/live-action hybrid, not surprising given Favreau also helmed some of Disney’s recent “live-action” features, including The Lion King and The Jungle Book.
If you’re a hardcore Disney fan, you’ve likely heard of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks created the animated character in 1927. While he appeared in several cartoons for about a decade, Universal held rights to Oswald, so Disney created a similar iteration of the character that he called Mickey Mouse. Disney historian David Gerstein described the personality of Oswald thusly: “Imagine Mickey if he were a little more egotistical or fallible, or imagine Bugs Bunny if he talked the talk but wasn’t as good at walking the walk.”
Disney CEO Bob Iger re-acquired the trademark for Oswald back in 2006, and has reportedly been eager to bring Oswald back into the Disney fold. This series helmed by Favreau appears to be the current effort to do so, though one has been able to buy Oswald merchandise at Disney parks for at least the last several years.
The project is apparently still in its early days, so no news yet on what actors will take part in the series (animated or otherwise) or when it will make its way to Disney+.
