Back in the 1980s, long after the original Star Wars films had been released, Lucasfilm decided to release an all-time classic of a dark fantasy film, titled Willow. The film, which followed the titular character, played by Warwick Davis, a reluctant farmer who plays a critical role in protecting a baby from an evil queen, is getting a TV show on Disney+, among the other new shows. While there were ideas for a possible Willow 2 a long time ago, this is the official sequel to the film.
However, what exactly is this new show going to be about? Who is going to star in it? Is Willow himself going to return? Here are some quick things about what we know so far about the upcoming Willow series.
Willow Is Set To Release On November 30th, 2022
In 2020, according to the Star Wars Twitter account, it was confirmed that the show would arrive on Disney+ in 2022. Now, we know that the show is set to release on the platform on November 30th as part of the 2022 TV premiere schedule.
Talk about a nice kick-off to the holidays - let’s hope Willow ends up joining the best fantasy TV shows out there.
Willow Will Be Lucasfilm’s First Non-Star Wars Project In Seven Years
With how much Star Wars content has been coming out the last few of years, like the release of the Star Wars sequels, The Mandalorian on Disney+, The Book of Boba Fett, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, sometimes it’s hard to remember that Lucasfilm is still a film studio and does more than just Star Wars content.
In 2020, The Verge confirmed that this would be Lucasfilm's first non-Star Wars-related project in the last five years, and since it’s 2022 now, the last seven years. The last project was the film Strange Magic, released the same year as Star Wars: The Force Awakens. While there are still plenty of Star Wars shows out there, I’m eager to see LucasFilm venture outside the Star Wars universe for something new.
Willow Is Set Years After The Original Film
The original film, which debuted in 1988, starred plenty of fresh and famous faces, such as Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer as Madmartigan, and many others. However, with the new series, it will take place years after the events of the first film, according to Deadline. In the Willow series, we will be introduced to a new group of characters as well as Warwick Davis’ classic Willow, who go on a fantastical journey to save the world. Not many official casting details have been released, but it already sounds interesting to know this is taking place years after.
Warwick Davis Will Return As Willow Ufgood In Willow
While most of the familiar faces from the original film will not return for the series, Warwick Davis will be coming back. Davis had quite a career after his appearance in Willow, playing several notable characters across a wide variety of movies. These include Lubdan in the Leprechaun series, Professor Filius Flitwick and Griphook in the Harry Potter series (as well as other characters in the wizarding world), several characters across the Star Wars franchise, and so many others.
When talking about returning to his iconic fantasy role with Radio Times in November 2020, Warwick Davis admits he never thought a series like this would occur.
You know what, it’s weird to be able to talk about it now! It’s something which I never thought I would see happen. Everything sort of aligned when we did the movie Solo. The writer, John Kasdan, was a huge fan of Willow. He grew up watching it and it’s one of the things that inspired him to become a screenwriter, as well as his dad. And then Ron Howard came into direct and John mentioned to him that he was a big fan of Willow and that got them talking. And I was on Solo looking a little bit like Willow with my long hair as Weazel, and all these things came together.
It seems that a series like Willow was meant to be after all. I for one can’t wait to see Warwick Davis return to the story, all these years later.
Willow’s Cast Includes Erin Kellyman, Ruby Cruz, And More
Even if we won’t see a lot of familiar faces, the cast so far that has been announced for the Willow series is unlike any other.
According to Deadline, when the show was originally announced in 2020, Erin Kellyman and Ellie Bamber are set to star in the new Disney+ series. Erin Kellyman, known for her role as Karli Morgenthau in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier cast, will be reuniting with Lucasfilm after her run in Solo: A Star Wars Story as Enfys Nest. Ellie Bamber is new to the studio.
Another star that has been cast for Willow is Ruby Cruz, according to Deadline. The actress, known for her part in Castle Rock, has landed another female co-lead opposite the two already announced, replacing Cailee Spaeny, who was originally placed in the role Cruz acquired.
In addition to the four actresses already announced for lead roles, actor Amer Chadha-Patel, known for his part in Doom: Annihilation, has signed on for a male lead role in Willow, according to Deadline.
Another role that’s been confirmed is Tony Revolori, according to Deadline, who has been in such movies like the Spider-Man trilogy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as The Grand Budapest Hotel, Dope, The French Dispatch, and more.
With all these great cast members confirmed, I’m even more excited for this series to drop.
Willow Has Had Several Director Changes Due To Timing Conflicts
While Willow itself already sounds like an amazing series to do, it has run into some conflicts regarding its director. Originally, it was announced during Disney Investor Day in 2020, that Crazy Rich Asians and In The Heights director, Jon M. Chu, would direct the pilot. However, he has since dropped out of the series due to timing conflicts, according to Deadline.
Chu released a statement following his departure and about the unfortunate circumstances that led to it.
With the production schedule moving due to continued lockdowns in the UK, and with a new baby coming this summer (surprise!), the timing is just not going to work for me and my family. As you may know, Willow has been one of my favorite movies since I was a child, so I’m devastated that I won’t be able to work with my heroes old and new like Kathy, Ron, Jon, Wendy, Michelle, and the amazing cast and crew they’ve put together.
After Jon M. Chu left the series, Jonathan Entwistle signed on for the job, but Deadline reports that he has also since left and been replaced by Stephen Woolfenden. Entwistle left during prep in April due to a scheduling conflict with his new Apple TV+ series, Hello Tomorrow.
Woolfenden was already associated with the Willow series, acting as a producing director, so thankfully it was someone with knowledge of the project.
Watch The Willow Teaser Trailer Here:
If you for some reason haven’t seen the teaser trailer for Willow just yet, be sure to check it out below:
It’s exciting to see Willow finally come to fruition after being hyped for a long time, and I can’t wait to dive into this magical world that we’re all getting the chance to see once again.
