English-born Australian actress Sophie Lowe has landed the lead in ABC‘s Once Upon A Time spinoff project, which now has a title, Once: Wonderland. Also cast in the presentation, from Once Upon A Time creators Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz is Brit Peter Gadiot. Once: Wonderland is set in pre-curse Wonderland. The story is told through the point of view of Alice (Lowe) who has a generous heart but carries the scars of a long hard life. She is joined by two other characters, Cyrus (Gadiot), Alice’s love interest with a background shrouded in mystery, and the Knave of Hearts (Michael Socha), a sardonic adventurer, a man of action, a loner and a heart-breaker.

Kitsis and Horowitz are writing the 15-20-page, four-scene presentation with input from Zack Estrin and Jane Espenson. Production is slated to begin April 7 in Vancouver, immediately following the season wrap of Once there. If the project goes to series, Estrin is expected to run it with Kitsis and Horowitz, while Espenson, who has been a key member of Once’s writing staff since after the pilot, will likely return to the flagship drama, which Kitsis and Horowitz will continue to run. Also executive producing the ABC Studios-produced spinoff is Once Upon A Time executive producer Steve Pearlman. Lowe is with CAA and Australia’s Shanahan Management.