During the recent Star Wars Celebration event we got our first look at the brand new Willow series coming to Disney+. If you’re a fan of Willow it was probably one of the highlights of the show, and it seems that Jun M. Chu is still very excited for the production, even though he’s no longer helming the show.
Jon M. Chu was set to direct the pilot for Willow, but due to the ongoing pandemic, combined with the needs of his family, he made the difficult decision to step away. CinemaBlend recently had a chance to speak with Chu for our Voices section and we asked him what his feelings were when he saw the first trailer, and there is zero indication that he was disappointed that he was not involved, he was as excited as anybody after seeing the trailer, he told us…
I didn’t just text Jon Kasdan. I sent a voice memo basically screaming, jumping up and down. ‘You did it, bro. I’m so happy for the team.’...When I watch that stuff I’m just so, so proud
While Jon M. Chu did not direct the first episode of the Willow series, he was still involved in getting the show going, including casting many of the actors that will lead the show. As such, seeing them on the screen was still just as rewarding, since he did still play a part in making the show happen.
Jon M. Chu certainly still has his hands full of course. The Crazy White Asians director is now hard at work at bringing the long in development hell film adaptation of Wicked to the screen. Arian Grande and Cynthia Ervo are set to play the lead roles in what will actually cut Wicked into two films, so Chu is going to be focused on Wicked for some time.
The Willow series takes what has become somewhat a somewhat standard idea in franchise creation these days. It will see Willow, a much older and more experienced wizard, join with a new group of characters, including the daughter of Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan, and Joanne Whalley’s Sorsha. Whalley will also appear in Willow, though indications are Kilmer, despite doing the cameo thing in Top Gun: Maverick, will not do the same in Willow.
On the one hand, Willow isn’t necessarily a story that needed a sequel series. The quest to save Elora Danan was a complete tale, and evil was vanquished in the process. At the same time, it will be nice to see just what has become of Elora Danan, and just how the now grown woman will impact the world.
It’s possible, as far as we know, that Willow could see multiple seasons on Disney+, and so maybe Jon M. Chu will have another chance to direct an episode in the future. Either way, he’s clearly excited to see the show come to the streaming service. Willow will launch on Disney+ on November 30.
