For those of you waiting for big Star Wars announcements for Disney+ Day, well…there really weren’t any. Sorry about that. However, the folks at Lucasfilm did drop a special behind-the-scenes video from the set of the new Willow series, a continuation of Ron Howard’s 1988 cult classic fantasy film. And introducing us to the new cast and crew is none other than Willow Ufgood himself, returning star Warwick Davis. You can watch the video right here.
Among the supporting cast introduced were Ruby Cruz (Mare of Easttown), Erin Kellyman (The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Solo), Ellie Bamber (The Serpent), Tony Revolori (Spider-Man: No Way Home), Amar Chadha Patel (The Third Day) and Dempsey Bryk (The Birch). Recently, it was also announced that Game of Thrones’ Rosabell Laurenti Sellers would also join the cast. The whole vibe of the video felt very much like a mockumentary series that we would totally watch right now. We especially love Warwick’s shade at Lord of the Rings.
Lucasfilm’s original Willow film starred Davis in the title role, a young farmer and Newlyn dwarf sorcerer. Together with the mercenary Madmartigan (Val Kilmer), he sets out on an adventure to protect a baby, one destined to defeat the evil queen Bavmorda. And, of course, save the kingdom. This new Disney+ series will pick up decades later, letting real-time pass for the character. So think of it as The Force Awakens method.
The original film wasn’t the Star Wars or Indiana Jones-level success that George Lucas was hoping for, but it gained quite a cult following over the years. George Lucas and Chris Claremont wrote several novels that continued the story, but fans kept clamoring for more live-action. And now, it’s finally a reality. Ron Howard is still on board as a producer, which should calm the worries of most fans. Although no official release date was given at Disney+ Day, they confirmed Willow as coming out in 2022.
Originally published on November 12, 2021.
