Willowreturns.
Last May word leakedout that Disney+ was contemplating a return to the world ofWillow, theRon Howard-directed,George Lucas-produced fantasy film from 1988 that starred diminutiveStar Wars: Return of the JediactorWarwick Davis. Howard would reteam with not only Davis but alsoJonathan Kasdan, who co-wrote Howard’s return to LucasfilmSolo: A Star Wars Story. Now it’s official: the Willow series is a go at Disney+. And what’s more, they’ve securedJon M. Chu, director ofCrazy Rich Asiansand the upcoming adaptation ofLin-Manuel Miranda’sIn the Heights, to direct the pilot and executive produce the series. This series is going to behuge.
If you’ve never seen the originalWillow, it’s on Disney+ right now and is a lot of fun. After its release, Howard said he was the wrong person for the job because he kept trying to direct like he thought Lucas would, instead of investing his own personality into the project. But the story, about the ascension of a very unlikely hero, is full of energetic action sequences, a rousingJames Hornerscore, so truly revolutionary Industrial Light & Magic visual effects and a deeply chaoticVal Kilmerperformance.
Plot details for the new show are being kept under wraps but we do know that the pilot written by Kasdan, who also executive produces and show-runs alongsideWendy Mericle. And of course Davis returns for the title role.
“Growing up in the ’80s, ‘Willow’ has had a profound effect on me,” said Chu in an official statement. “The story of the bravest heroes in the least likely places allowed me, an Asian-American kid growing up in a Chinese restaurant looking to go to Hollywood, to believe in the power of our own will, determination and of course, inner magic. So the fact that I get to work with my heroes fromKathleen Kennedyto Ron Howard is bigger than a dream come-true. It’s a bucket-list moment for me. Jon Kasdan and Wendy Mericle have added such groundbreaking new characters and delightful surprises to this timeless story that I can’t wait for the world to come along on this epic journey with us.”
Howard returns as an executive producer, alongside original screenwriterBob Dolman, who serves as a consulting producer.
“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,” Howard said in an official statement. “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.”
Even if you aren’t the biggestWillowfan, you’ve got to appreciate that this is the first non-Star Warsproject Lucasfilm has worked on since 2015. (The last non-Star Warsproject Lucasfilm tackled was the truly bizarre feature-length animated jukebox musical/Shakespeare adaptationStrange Magic.) While we still haven’t gotten any word on theChildren of Blood and Boneadaptation Lucasfilm was tackling, president Kathleen Kennedy suggests there’s more non-Star Wars-related storytelling on the way.
“This is an exciting new era for storytelling at Lucasfilm,” Kennedy said in a statement. “Jon Chu’s vision, coupled with the writing of Jon Kasdan and Wendy Mericle, is going to take Willow into new and exciting directions for the series. Reuniting Ron Howard and Warwick Davis in the world of ‘Willow’ is something that they’ve both wanted to do for some time, and I couldn’t be more proud of the incredible team we’ve put together to bring this series to Disney+.”
