The next Disney+ show from The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau reportedly has a disappointingly lean episode count. After helping craft the characters and world of the Pedro Pascal-led Star Wars series, Favreau is headed back to streaming with the upcoming Oswald the Lucky Rabbit show. The new series, centered on the oft-forgotten Disney mascot, is shooting in Disneyland with MCU actress Kathryn Hahn as one of its stars.
While not much is known about the upcoming Disney+ series, it has been reported that it could be one of the shortest series ever on the streamer. The exact reason for this paltry episode count has not been disclosed, but it could be a sign of things to come for the Disney+ brand overall, Oswald the Rabbit-associated or not.
According to insider Daniel Richtman, Favreau's next Disney series will be "incredibly short," coming in at a meager "three episodes:"
"I've learned that Jon Favreau's Oswald series will consist of only three episodes, which is incredibly short, even for a Disney+ show."
Thus far, specifics surrounding the series have been kept under wraps. All fans know is that the show will focus on the long-lost precursor to Mickey Mouse, Oswald the Rabbit, and will be a live-action/animation hybrid akin to something like Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The series stars Skeleton Crew actor Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Ryder Allen, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Amy Sedaris, and Kathryn Hahn. With production ongoing in Anaheim, California, the new Jon Favreau series can likely be expected to be released sometime in the next year or so.
Is Oswald The Rabbit the Future of Disney+?
Hearing that Oswald the Lucky Rabbit will be a mere three episodes when it eventually hits Disney+ will surely come as a shock to long-time MCU fans. However, it would be a sign of things to come for the streamer as opposed to a one-off exception.
This is not to say that every Disney+ series will be three episodes long going forward; shows like the upcoming Vision Quest will need much more screen time. But it may indicate that Disney is ready to shake things up in how it tackles its streaming efforts.
While a platform like Disney+ has always afforded the House of Mouse to explore various episode/series lengths simply not possible when developing a show for linear TV, most have fallen into the same eight or six-episode streaming series format.
However, over the last couple of years, Disney (along with the entire entertainment industry) has had to rethink its streaming strategy as the financial realities of the format have begun to set in. This could mean the studio is ready to explore the scale more than ever before.
That would mean three-episode series like Oswald the Lucky Rabbit can exist alongside longer shows like Andor or Daredevil: Born Again, and they are both treated with the same level of respect.
It's a realization of what streaming can allow for its creatives and their financiers. Does this story only warrant three episodes? Okay, then make a three-episode series. There is no need to stretch something out or cut something down simply to meet an episode count.
This could allow for true creative control over the streaming medium, whether three or 12 episodes long.
