'Once Upon a Time'
Cast member Larra Parrilla poses during a photocall for the TV series "Once Upon A Time" at the 52nd Monte Carlo Television Festival in Monaco June 12, 2012. Reuters/Eric Gaillard

Lana Parrilla (Regina) has been a part of “Once Upon A Time” since the very beginning. Now, the actress will be making her directorial debut in season 7. Co-executive producer Adam Horowitz made the announcement online.

Horowitz has the habit of releasing teasers online. Most of his reveals come from the script, usually a title “spoiler” or a scene. The new post is similar, the only difference being the familiar name of the director.

Parrilla is set to direct the 17th episode of the current season, Horowitz announced on Twitter (see below). The title of the episode is “Chosen.” The script has been written by Paul Karp and Brian Ridings. Details of the plot haven’t been revealed yet.

Ten episodes of season 7 have already aired, and the show is currently on a break. The show is set to return on March 2.

The new season is a reset, with the focus on the next generation of characters like Henry Mills (Andrew J. West) and his daughter Lucy (Alison Fernandez). Veteran characters like Regina play the role of mentors and guides this time around, instead of being the centre of the action.

Since Parrilla has been part of the show from the start, she knows how to work with the format of the episodes. Her familiarity with fellow cast members is most likely an added advantage that will make the job easier.

The changes in the series may be necessary as ratings are falling. According to a report by Deadline, ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey recently said she’s “cautiously optimistic” about the numbers of the show. She pointed out that it’s too early in the year to gauge exactly how the audience response will be.

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