Yahoo News Once's new villain is even more ruthless than Regina
Regina will meet her match in Once Upon a Time season seven, as the new villain – Lady Tremaine – is even more ruthless than the Evil Queen herself.
Gabrielle Anwar is joining the cast as a series regular as Cinderella's wicked stepmother, and it seems that she is behind the new curse which has afflicted the likes of Henry, Regina, Mr Gold, and Hook.
"She's somebody who wants to get to the top and will use any means necessary," showrunner Edward Kitsis told Entertainment Weekly.
Related: Once Upon a Time season 7 – everything you need to know
"Why it's important for her to be royal, why it's important for her to crush everyone else, is the story of the year. In true Once Upon a Time fashion, evil isn't born – it's made, and we'll see that with her as well."
Executive producer David H Goodman expanded on Hyperion Heights in Seattle, the new setting of the show following a move away from Storybrooke.
Hyperion Heights will have a mixture of fairy tale and non-fairy tale people.
"We're going to see in Hyperion Heights that the role Lady Tremaine has taken is very similar in terms of getting to the top, in terms of being a developer, who is this character who is trying to push out the fairy tale characters who are living in Hyperion Heights, gentrifying the neighbourhood and bringing other people in," he said.
Kitsis added: "Lady Tremaine learned the lesson that Regina didn't, which is don't keep them all together where one day they can find themselves. Push them the hell out!
"You push them the hell out and you gentrify the neighbourhood and you bring in a cold press juicer and they can't afford it anymore, then you won't worry about the Pied Piper finding, you know, Alice."
Goodman then teased: "Not giving anything away what the curse is, but [Lady Tremaine's] learning and standing on the backs of these other curses that have come before her to be as effective a villain as possible."
Aside from Anwar, season seven introduces Andrew J West (adult Henry), Alison Fernandez (Lucy), and Dania Ramirez (Cinderella) to the main cast.
Jennifer Morrison (Emma), Jared S Gilmore (young Henry), and Emilie de Ravin (Belle) have been confirmed to be making guest appearances this year.
Once Upon a Time season seven will launch on Friday, October 6 on ABC in the US.
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