Ghostbusters star Ernie Hudson is set to star in Oswald: Down the Rabbit Hole, a horror movie that sees his character, a brilliant animator named Oswald Jebidiah Coleman, “cast away to a bone-chilling magical prison,” per Deadline.
Oswald is the grandfather of main character Art, who is played by Topher Hall (Single Drunk Females). The story follows Art and his friends as they seek to track down his family lineage but come face to face with a blood-thirsty cartoon rabbit. A teaser trailer was revealed earlier this year, giving viewers a closer look at how it plans to bring its sharp-toothed hare to life. Shooting for the $4.5 million movie is expected to begin this spring.
“I am excited to work with everyone on this production,” Hudson said. “It’s an incredibly creative and smart project.”
This same rabbit is based on Disney’s often forgotten, early 1900s cartoon character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Oswald entered the public domain last year, so of course, Down the Rabbit Hole is looking to give fans a twisted version of the character they haven’t seen before.
“Art and some of his closest friends help track down his long-lost family lineage,” an official description says. “When they find and explore his Great-Grandpa Oswald's abandoned home, they encounter a magical TV that teleports them to a place lost in time, shrouded by dark Hollywood Magic. The group finds that they are not alone when they discover Oswald's come-to-life cartoon Rabbit, a dark entity that decides their souls are it's for the taking. Art and his friends must work together to escape their magical prison before the Rabbit gets to them first.”
Hudson is no doubt best-known for his work as Winston Zeddmore in the Ghostbusters franchise. He played the character in the first film and its 1989 sequel but also returned for recent entries like Ghostbusters: Afterlife and this year’s Frozen Empire, too. There’s not denying that he’s best known for his work busting supernatural beings, but he’s also appeared in projects like Quantum Leap, L.A.’s Finest, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and 1994’s The Crow, too.
“I had a very specific vision for Oswald’s character and knew I wanted Ernie for this role from the start, as I’ve always admired iconic cinematic legacy,” director Lilton Stewart III said. “Ernie is going to bring Oswald’s unique and vengeful spirit to life in the best way possible.”
As classic cartoon characters slowly enter public domain, movie fans have been treated to a waterfall of horror twists. These include movies like Winnie the Pooh-centered slasher Blood and Honey. We even saw a Steamboat Willie horror film revealed earlier this year.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
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