The upcoming three-part miniseries comes from Jon Favreau, who is writing, directing, and executive producing the project. Favreau has become one of Disney's most recognizable creatives through creating The Mandalorian, directing The Jungle Book and The Lion King, and playing Happy Hogan in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
During a D23 panel attended by ScreenRant, Favreau described Oswald as a "dream project" and revealed that the title character will be created entirely through hand-drawn 2D animation as part of a live-action and animation hybrid. Former Disney animators are returning to work on the project, which was also shot at historic Disney locations, including Disneyland and Walt Disney's office in Burbank.
The series, which is coming to Disney+ in February 2027, will feature a notable cast that includes Steve Martin, Kathryn Hahn, Amy Sedaris, Al Madrigal, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Mykal-Michelle Harris and Ryder Allen. A first look at Oswald and the logo was revealed at the panel.
Perhaps the most exciting part of Oswald is how closely Favreau's series appears to be embracing the character's history rather than simply modernizing him for Disney+.
Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks created Oswald in 1927 for Universal Pictures, one year before Mickey Mouse's creation. After Universal took control of Oswald in 1928, Disney and Iwerks went on to create Mickey, giving the Lucky Rabbit an unusually important place in the company's history.
The Walt Disney Company eventually reacquired the rights to Oswald in 2006. He later appeared alongside Mickey in the 2010 video game Epic Mickey, helping reintroduce the largely forgotten character to modern Disney audiences.
Now, Favreau is taking that revival considerably further. The choice to animate Oswald by hand is particularly fitting for a character born during the earliest years of Disney animation. Bringing former Disney animators back for the project should make the series even more intriguing for fans who have been waiting to see more traditional 2D animation from the studio.
Filming at Disneyland and Walt Disney's actual Burbank office only deepens that connection to the company's history. Rather than treating Oswald as another character available for a modern reboot, the details revealed so far suggest the miniseries could function as a celebration of Disney's earliest era.
There's also something particularly fitting about the timing. Oswald will arrive in February 2027, the same year the character celebrates the 100th anniversary of his creation.
For a character who spent decades largely absent from Disney's biggest movies and shows, that's quite a homecoming. Between Favreau calling it his "dream project," the return of hand-drawn animation, historic filming locations, and an impressive cast, Oswald could be one of Disney+'s most nostalgic projects yet.
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