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Credit: Video Screenshot, 'Once Upon a Time', ABCPremiering in 2011 and casting its final spell in 2018, ABC’s Once Upon a Time is a bold and magical reimagining of the fairy tales you thought you knew. This genre-bending series invites fans into Storybrooke, a sleepy Maine town hiding an enchanted secret — its residents are actually fairy tale characters trapped in the real world, stripped of their memories by a dark curse.
When Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) arrives in town, guided by her young son Henry (Jared S. Gilmore), she unknowingly steps into a destiny far greater than she ever imagined, as the daughter of Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Prince Charming (Josh Dallas), and the key to breaking the curse.
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But Once Upon a Time isn’t your typical fairy tale. With a cast that includes Lana Parrilla as the complex and unforgettable Evil Queen/Regina Mills, and Robert Carlyle as the ever-enigmatic Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold, the series dives deep into the hearts of heroes and villains alike. Over seven seasons, the show weaves together stories from Disney classics, folklore, and myth, from Neverland to Arendelle.
It was whimsical, emotional, and definitely a little bit wicked.
Sadly, the show’s final season took it in a somewhat repetitive direction, and fans weren’t as dedicated as they were for the prior six seasons. Due to low ratings and the loss of some of its stars, Once Upon a Time was canceled. But that does not mean that fans’ love has faded.
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Disney has found a lot of success with its live-action movie remakes, including The Lion King (2019) and Beauty and the Beast (2017), and fans are also loving reboots like Wizards of Waverly Place, DuckTales, The Proud Family, and Phineas and Ferb.
And now, one Once Upon a Time star is saying she would love for Disney to reboot the beloved drama series.
In a recent interview on the I’ve Never Said This Before podcast, Lana Parrilla, AKA the Evil Queen, spoke about how much she would love to return to the fantasy world she inhabited for years.
“I would like to make that happen. If there was a reboot, I’m just saying I would be interested.”
“I’ve always had mixed feelings about it because the series ran for so long. I was like, I don’t know what more we can tell, these characters have been so deeply fleshed out. But there’s always more stories. And that character has a huge piece of my heart, so I would be open to it, for sure.”
Related: Why “Once Upon A Time” Took So Long to Get to Disney+
When Disney and ABC announced the series cancellation back in 2017, Parrilla was very outspoken in her disappointment. She admitted that she had a difficult time accepting the news, and at first, she was angry, which morphed into depression and sadness.
On the podcast, she says that OUAT fans still come up to her and ask for her autograph, and how much of an impact the show had on her.
“What I forgot about over the years is how great the writing is. I mean, I know the writing is great; it has to start with that for a show to be successful. But I forgot how many quotes were great in it and how they were like more lessons for people. People grew from these characters and their lives changed, and that was something I don’t think I would’ve understood had I not been meeting the fans over the years like I do.
“I would go back to Adam [Horowitz] and Eddie [Kitsis] and say, ‘Do you guys realize what you’ve done? It’s changed lives. That’s the first time I’ve ever been a part of something that magical. It will always hold a dear place in my heart. Once Upon a Time is a very special show.”
Lana Parrilla is not the only Once Upon a Time star who has voiced their desire for a reboot. Back in May, Ginnifer Goodwin, who played Mary Margaret/Snow White, spoke with PEOPLE and said that she had heard rumors of a reboot, and she would always be there if Disney and ABC decided to go in that direction.
“I hear these rumors as well [about a reboot], and I am available if they [want to do that],” Goodwin said. “I mean, I live around the corner from the creator, so I’m sure I’ll hear things.”
“I’d love to go back. My whole life is kind of built around it. I mean, I married Prince Charming. His babies are my babies,” she added, referring to husband Josh Dallas, whom she met on the OUAT set and now shares two children with.
While Ms. Goodwin has said she would like to return, her husband has not said the same. However, Colin O’Donoghue, who played Killian Jones/Captain Hook, has also said that he would be interested in a reboot.
Jennifer Morrison, who starred as Emma Swan, has said that she would also return for a potential reboot, but not as an actress. Instead, she said that she would love to go behind the camera and help shape a new series.
Right now, neither Disney nor ABC has said anything about a Once Upon a Time reboot, but in a world where reboots and remakes are all the rage, anything is possible!
Would you like to see a Once Upon a Time reboot? What original stars would you like to see return? Do you think Disney and ABC could find a lot of success if they brought back many of the original stars? What was your favorite Once Upon a Time storyline? Share all your Once Upon a Time thoughts with us in the comments!