A sequel to Willow will come in the form of a TV series for Disney+, with Crazy Rich Asians’ Jon Chu set to direct. The 1988 dramatic fantasy was not a massive hit at the box office in its day, though it did manage to earn a decent amount of international acclaim.
Conceived by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard, Willow starred Warwick Davis – a frequent Star Wars collaborator, and Batman Forever star Val Kilmer. The sword and sandals style epic followed the ups and downs of the journey of kind hearted wannabe sorcerer Willow Ulfgood (Davis) and his reluctant companion Madmartigan (Kilmer). Together, the pair work to ensure that an orphaned baby called Elora Danan is saved from certain death at the hands of the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda. The sorceress has learned via a prophecy that Elora Danan will grow up to bring about Bavmorda’s downfall. At the time of Willow’s release, Lucas was five years into his post Star Wars career and eager to find another massive hit in the fantasy realm. Willow, unfortunately, was not it.
Nonetheless, the film’s impact continued to grow in the years after its release, and today there is no shortage of fans who have been eager for a sequel. Thanks to a Disney press release, it’s now clear that a sequel to Willow will indeed arrive, though it will come as a TV series on Disney+. The new series will be produced by Howard, marking Lucasfilm’s first production outside the Star Wars banner in five years. Jon Chu will direct the pilot episode with a script from Jonathan Kasdan (Solo: A Star Wars Story), and Warwick Davis is set to return as the titular hero. According to Howard, the new series isn’t meant to be a nostalgic throwback – it’s actively moving the concept forward:
“It’s creatively exciting to not only revisit the world and characters first conceived by George Lucas, Bob Dolman and myself but to see it take flight in such fresh, fun and cinematic ways through the imagination of Jon Kasdan and Team Willow. This isn’t a nostalgic throw-back, it’s a creative lean-forward and it’s a blast to be a part of it all.”
The time could certainly be right for a Willow TV series, given Disney’s success with another Lucasfilm property, The Mandalorian. At the same turn, however, it’s important to point out that while Howard has worked with Disney and Kasdan before on 2018’s Solo, he did not find outstanding success within the Star Wars universe. It’s certainly worth considering that if Howard wasn’t able to make a go of a franchise as beloved as that of Star Wars, will he be able to keep a far less popular Lucasfilm concept from sinking? The expectations behind Willow won’t be as potentially stifling as that of a Star Wars property, which could help expand the project’s scope and creative potential.
As for the inclusion of director Jon Chu, except for Crazy Rich Asians, there isn’t a lot to his resume that would suggest he is best suited for a TV series like Willow. Compared to the likes of The Mandalorian, for example, Chu’s stature and success rate is nothing compared to Jon Favreau’s. Add to this the fact that Chu is only attached to the pilot at this point, and the creative future behind Willow - should it find success, does not appear to be on firm footing. But of course, this is Disney, after all, and a hit series will likely be able to draw in commitment from considerable talent.
Source: Disney
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