We’ve been talking about a new “Willow” project for over two years now. What started as talk about a sequel film morphed into discussions about a TV series, but time after time, there was nothing confirmed. It was mainly just Ron Howard wishing it into existence. Well, it appears that Disney is ready to get the ball going officially, and the studio knows the filmmaker that will expand the fantasy universe of the 1988 film.
According to Disney, filmmaker Jon M. Chu has been brought on direct the pilot episode of a new “Willow” streaming series. He will also executive produce alongside Jonathan Kasdan (“Solo”) and Wendy Mericle (“Arrow”), who will both serve as showrunners. Kasdan, as has been previously reported, wrote the pilot.
For those unfamiliar with “Willow,” the fantasy film stars Warwick Davis as the title character, a simple farmer that gets dragged into an adventure with Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. The original film was directed by Ron Howard with George Lucas conceiving the story and producing the film.
Here’s how Disney describes the new series:
The series, which is Lucasfilm’s first venture into non-Star Wars storytelling since 2015, takes place years after the events of the original “Willow” film. It introduces all-new characters to the enchanted realm of fairy queens and two-headed Eborsisk monsters, and welcomes back its namesake hero, Willow Ufgood, performed once again by the unmatchable Warwick Davis.
“Growing up in the ’80s, ‘Willow’ has had a profound effect on me,” said Chu. “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 from Kathleen Kennedy to 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 added, “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.”
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Chu is probably best known for his hit rom-com, “Crazy Rich Asians.” However, he’s also been attached to a number of other projects including the action film, “GI Joe: Retaliation” (the better of the two ‘GI Joe’ fims) and “Now You See Me 2.” He’s also the filmmaker behind the upcoming musical film, “In the Heights.”
A release date for the “Willow” series is unknown, but Warwick Davis is already confirmed to return to the cast when production begins in 2021.