Once Upon a Time Season 7 status is still up in the air. There is a possibility that the series might not return this fall, and if it returns too, Jennifer Morrison, who plays Emma Swan aka the savior, might not headline it.
An unconfirmed report claims that Jennifer Morrison has signed her new contract for a potential Once Upon a Time Season 7, but she has signed as a part-timer, which means she is likely to appear in limited episodes. Vancouver-based Larry Andreutti posted on his Twitter feed the contract status of Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parilla (Regina/Evil Queen), and Colin O’Donoghue (Captain Hook), Spoiler TV reports. ABC or the cast members have not officially confirmed anything.
According to Andreutti, Colin O’ Donoghue and Jennifer Morrison have signed their new contracts, but the latter has signed part-time. And Lana Parilla has agreed to sign her new Once Upon a Time contract with certain conditions.
Contract status for #OnceUponATime season 7: Colin (signed), Jennifer (signed part-time), Lana (agreed to sign with some conditions) #OUAT
— Larry Andreutti (@BastardSonVan) March 31, 2017
I don’t know what part-time means but I would guess a limited number of episodes (that is just my own interpretation)
— Larry Andreutti (@BastardSonVan) March 31, 2017
Moreover, Andreutti said on his Twitter feed that there was no official word on Once Upon a Time Season 7. However, he added that the script for “The Final Battle” ends with “see you in Season 7.”
No official word yet on renewal for #OnceUponATime but at the end of the script for “The Final Battle” it says “See you in season 7” #OUAT
— Larry Andreutti (@BastardSonVan) March 31, 2017
The contracts of all the Once Upon a Time’s original stars are due for renewal, but only four actors are reportedly negotiating their contracts for a potential Season 7. Earlier in March, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parilla, Colin O’Donoghue and Robert Carlyle reportedly began negotiating their new contracts. And according to reports, the potential new season would focus on the four characters played by these actors.
As reported previously by Inquisitr , Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas told a Vancouver-based autograph collector-seller that they would be happy to guest star in a new season of Once Upon a Time if they were invited . He posted on his Instagram account that the two stars, who are married to each other in real life, were signing autographs on their final return to Vancouver, where the filming of the series takes place. The post has since been deleted, but someone took a screenshot of the original post.
Meanwhile, replying to fans on his Twiter feed, co-creator Adam Horowitz says that he hopes that there is Season 7 of Once Upon a Time .
hope so !
— Adam Horowitz (@AdamHorowitzLA) March 30, 2017
gosh I hope not
— Adam Horowitz (@AdamHorowitzLA) March 30, 2017
The co-creator also recently posted pictures from the current season’s wrap-up party. The filming for Season 6 ends soon.
With @colinodonoghue1 at Season 6 wrap party!* #OnceUponATime (*even though we have a few more days of shooting left) pic.twitter.com/yn9s6iXOyu
— Adam Horowitz (@AdamHorowitzLA) April 2, 2017
The greatest cast and crew you could ever want. True magic in this room. #OnceUponATime pic.twitter.com/w2LhHaabqa
— Adam Horowitz (@AdamHorowitzLA) April 2, 2017
Once Upon a Time’s ratings continue to slide, and it is possible that ABC might decide to cancel the series because of that. Episode 15 of the current season, which aired on Sunday, April 2, scored a rating of 0.8% in the key demo.
TV Line, on the other hand , reported that despite low ratings, the Season 7 reset might see the series premiering this fall.
There’s hope within ABC that a much-buzzed-about Season 7 reset could breathe new life into the waning franchise.
During the TCA winter tour in January, ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey hinted at story reset, adding that the current narrative would see a closure.
“Regardless of what we decide to do at the end of this season, I think [co-creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis] think they would put a little bit of a bow here, and then there is a next piece that comes after that. There will be a little bit of closure in this particular narrative.”
The final episode of Once Upon a Time Season 6 airs in May. The final episode is set to introduce two guest-stars. If ABC renews the series for another season, the two characters will return to play important roles in the new season.
Andrew J. West and Alison Fernandez have been roped in to appear as guest stars in the final episode. TV Line described West’s character as someone who was once an optimistic man but has now become friendless and a cynical recluse.
“A strong yet vulnerable leading man in his late 20s to mid-30s, a gent who was once optimistic and hopeful but now is a friendless, cynical recluse. That said, he still possesses a dormant, deep-seated spark of hope that waits for the right person to reignite it.”
Fernandez is expected to play the role of a 10-year-old precocious girl who always has a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Once Upon a Time airs Sundays on ABC.
[Featured Image by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images]