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Jon Favreau Reunites with The Mandalorian Star for New Disney+ Series
Jon Favreau is continuing to build the cast for his Disney+ series Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and he is turning to a trusted and frequent collaborator. As revealed by Variety, actress and comedian Amy Sedaris has officially joined the project, reportedly set to play the mother of Taylor, a main character portrayed by young The Penguin actor Ryder Allen. The casting marks a significant reunion, adding another chapter to the long and successful creative partnership between Sedaris and Favreau that spans film, television, and multiple Disney franchises. This latest addition further solidifies the cast for the highly anticipated hybrid live-action and animation series, which also includes Star Wars: Skeleton Crew‘s Ravi Cabot-Conyers and Raven’s Home‘s Mykal-Michelle Harris.
Audiences have seen Sedaris in the Star Wars universe as the gruff but lovable ship mechanic Peli Motto in both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, two shows where Favreau served as creator and executive producer. Her character quickly became a fan favorite, serving as a reliable ally and occasional babysitter for Grogu. Sedaris has also been part of Favreau’s feature films, including his 2019 photorealistic version of The Lion King, where she voiced a guinea fowl. Before that, she appeared in his critically acclaimed 2014 film Chef. Their earliest on-screen collaboration was in the 2003 holiday classic Elf, which Favreau directed.
Beyond her work with Favreau, Sedaris is a celebrated comedic force in her own right. She first broke through as the co-creator and star of the cult classic series Strangers with Candy, where she played the iconic role of Jerri Blank. In addition, she has earned multiple Emmy nominations for her surreal sketch series At Home with Amy Sedaris and has received critical acclaim for her long-running voice role as the driven agent Princess Carolyn in the animated series BoJack Horseman.
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit’s Long Journey Home
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is centered on a character with one of the most compelling backstories in animation history. Oswald was the first original animated character created by Walt Disney and his top animator, Ub Iwerks, in 1927, quickly becoming the studio’s bona fide star and headlining a popular series of cartoon shorts distributed by Universal Pictures. The character’s success, however, led directly to one of the most devastating moments in Walt Disney’s early career. When he went to his distributor, Charles Mintz, to negotiate for a larger budget, Mintz not only refused but also informed Walt that he had hired away most of his animation staff and, crucially, that Universal, not Disney, held the legal rights to Oswald. Having lost his creation and his creative team, Walt Disney conceptualized a new character on the train ride back to California: Mickey Mouse.
Oswald remained with Universal for decades, his Disney origins largely forgotten by the general public. That changed in 2006, when Disney CEO Bob Iger orchestrated one of the most unusual trades in corporate history. To allow veteran sportscaster Al Michaels to leave Disney-owned ABC and ESPN to join NBC’s Sunday Night Football, Iger negotiated a deal with NBCUniversal. In exchange for releasing Michaels from his contract, the Walt Disney Company would reacquire the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, finally bringing him home after nearly 80 years.
Since his return, Disney has slowly reintroduced Oswald to modern audiences. He was a major co-star in the Epic Mickey video game series, has appeared as a meet-and-greet character at Disney parks, and has starred in a handful of new animated shorts. This new Disney+ series from Jon Favreau represents his most significant project since his return, a full-circle moment that positions Disney’s original star for a major comeback.
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is in development for Disney+.
Are you excited to see Jon Favreau and Amy Sedaris work together again in Oswald the Lucky Rabbit? Let us know in the comments!
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