EXCLUSIVE: New 'Oswald' Movie Director Has Plans for Trilogy

Major plans are in the works for a project that got its inspiration from the infamous Disney character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

Beginning in January 2023, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit officially entered the public domain. This means that the character and his early cartoons are no longer subject to copyright restrictions, allowing fans, animators, and historians to freely explore and celebrate Oswald’s history and legacy. This move has opened up new possibilities for creating and sharing content related to Oswald, ensuring that this pioneering character will continue to be remembered and appreciated by generations to come.

While many fans have been focused on the large amount of Steamboat Willie projects currently in the works, it was recently announced that Lilton Stewart III and Lucinda Bruce would be creating a new film inspired by Oswald, who has become a bit of an infamous character among Disney fans.

Inside the Magic recently got to sit down with Lilton Stewart III to get a look at what we can expect in the upcoming film.

An in-depth look at Oswald: Down The Rabbit Hole

Q. Tell me a little about what inspired you to make this movie. Were you a Disney fan growing up? I know that you said you enjoyed Oswald’s Trolley Troubles, but tell me a little about that and what kind of inspiration it plays in the movie. 

Lilton: I was definitely a Disney fan growing up, and I still am one to this day. Disney actually planted the seed for my love of horror growing up, with a majority of the tragic backstories and dark innuendos in their earlier work. It’s kind of funny how I got inspired to make this film. My friend dragged me to go see Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey in theaters, and I really didn’t enjoy the experience, to put it nicely.

So much so, I was actually upset at the missed opportunity the film had at telling a truly dark and tragic story in a what-if scenario had Christopher not come back, and they had to devolve to their natural animal instincts to survive. It was set up in a very intriguing opening animation, similar to Ernest H. Shepard’s original illustrations, but they abandoned that concept just as fast as it was introduced.

As a filmmaker, I believe that story is king, so with all that frustration, I searched the public domain archives to see if there was a story I could adapt in one way or another and came across Oswald The Lucky Rabbit, specifically Trolley Troubles. However, my first introduction to the character was in the video game Epic Mickey on the Wii. So, I was surprised to find that he went into the public domain a month earlier. After a bunch of digging, I found the behind-the-scenes of what happened with Oswald and how it played into the game, and I was immediately filled with excitement about how I could develop a story from that concept. 

2. Expanding on that a little bit more, most of our readers are Disney fans. What kind of aspects from the original Oswald can they expect in the film? Will there be any tributes to Walt Disney’s original character?

Lilton: There will be a lot of inspiration from Oswald going into the creation of our Rabbit. Oswald is loopy, short-tempered, silly, and hyperactive in Trolley Troubles. Our Rabbit will possess all those same qualities yet still be unique in its abilities, personality, and storytelling. This is important because our Rabbit is not actually Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, but very much its own being in the story. I like to think of it like Frankenstein, where the creature is “The Monster” and has no name, but everyone calls it Frankenstein. Ours is just “The Rabbit” created by a man named Oswald, aka Oswald’s Rabbit. 

There will be tributes to Walt’s original character. However, because we want to respect the still-standing copyrights Disney has in place, we won’t be able to go wild with anything and plan on keeping most of our contributional tribute to Trolley Troubles. Obviously, there isn’t much of a deep story in the Trolley Troubles cartoon to pull from, but the actual animation serves as a MacGuffin or a Genie bottle of sorts. Therefore, it will be a very recurring thing throughout the film, kind of like the videotape in The Ring.

Q. You’re set to begin filming this spring. What casting updates can you give us? Also, any teasers of what Oswald’s Rabbit will look like in this film?

Lilton: It’s a super exciting time for us, as we are currently in the casting phase. I can’t get into it right now, but we will announce those talented people when the ink dries on those contracts. As far as what Oswald’s Rabbit will look like, the world will see him in all his glory in the Announcement Teaser Trailer, which will be released in the last week of January, if not sooner. We were lucky enough to have the entire production team involved in making the film put together this special teaser as a one-of-one look at what we plan on achieving when we shoot this year. It’s jaw-dropping!

Q. What’s your take on Steamboat Willie & Oswald being in the public domain? Also, what made this the right time in your mind to produce the film?

Lilton: The public domain has always been a place to ensure stories stay alive. These characters entering the public domain opened the doors for creative and passionate people to bring different variations of these characters to life in exciting ways, keeping them alive for all to continue to share with the world. With that said, I’m not blind, and I see what everybody else sees. And it’s obvious you must take the good with the bad, if you know what I mean. Our team has the unfortunate uphill battle of separating ourselves from the Cash Grab Bandits, whose creative vision ends at Party City masks and family-cast slasher flicks. 

My team and I have been actively developing this film since February 2023, and we want to make something that the fans of Oswald could love and respect. The reason now is the right time is for the very same reason you can look at the sea of thoughtless material being pulled from the public domain, being turned into a film for all of the wrong reasons. I want to show audiences that you can make something people can genuinely tell you gave your all to make worth their while. I respect people’s time too much to not give my all in creating and telling this story. My original pitch for Oswald: Down the Rabbit Hole was, “I want to capture the magic of Disney through the eyes of horror.” Imagine if Disney decided to produce a horror film… I want this film to be the embodiment of that concept. 

Q. Any chance we see a Steamboat Willie sighting in your movie? 

Lilton: All I will say is, keep your eyes on the screen for the post-credit scene.

Q. What does the timeline look like, as far as filming and potential release date are concerned? 

Lilton: The current timeline for Oswald: Down the Rabbit Hole is moving along fairly quickly. Still, we want it to be done right, so with that said, filming will be this year, and the film will be released sometime in 2025. I would love for either a Valentine’s Day or Halloween season theatrical release. 

Q. Finally, what are you most looking forward to with the upcoming Oswald movie?

Lilton: I am honestly looking forward to so many things in this movie. On the one hand, I am over the moon about combining traditional animation and live-action. I’ve never had that pleasure until now, and it’s exhilarating to think about all of the challenges and rewards of taking this approach. On the other hand, I am super excited about the world-building with the potential story expansion over a planned trilogy.

I’ve spent so many hours creating the lore and how things work in the reality of this story, it’s just wild to think about seeing it all play out on the big screen. I also look forward to the adventure Oswald: Down the Rabbit Hole takes the audience on. I think about movies like The Goonies, Explorers, Ghostbusters, Big Trouble In Little China, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and it reminds me of how I felt like I was on a journey with the protagonist in those stories. I want audiences to have that same sense of adventure in our film, encapsulated in horror.

Who is Oswald the Lucky Rabbit?

For those who aren’t familiar with the character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is an iconic animated character created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. Oswald was one of the earliest cartoon characters to feature in a series of animated shorts. Oswald’s creation marked a significant milestone in the history of animation and laid the foundation for the success of the Disney Brothers Studio, which would later become The Walt Disney Company.

The character of Oswald was known for his round face, large ears, and playful personality. He appeared in a total of 26 silent and 26 sound cartoons during his initial run. Oswald quickly gained popularity and was beloved by audiences during the late 1920s. However, a dispute between Walt Disney and Universal Pictures, who held the rights to the character, led to Oswald being taken away from Disney. This loss was a turning point in Walt Disney’s career and spurred him to create a new character that would eventually become the iconic Mickey Mouse.

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit remained in relative obscurity for many decades, but he never faded from the memories of animation enthusiasts and historians. In recent years, there has been renewed interest in Oswald’s legacy, thanks in part to the efforts of dedicated fans and historians. One of the most significant developments in Oswald’s history occurred when, in 2006, The Walt Disney Company was able to reacquire the rights to Oswald in a trade with Universal Pictures. This momentous event marked Oswald’s return to the Disney family and brought the character back under Disney’s creative control.

Are you excited to see the upcoming Oswald project develop? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!