2023 has been a tough year for the magical world of Willow Ufgood, because following the news that the Disney+ series was being cancelled after a single season, now comes the hammer blow that the follow-up to 1988’s cult classic is being removed from the streaming service altogether as part of the studio’s cost-saving streamlining.
You’d think the series co-showrunner Jonathan Kasdan (Solo: A Star Wars Story) might be disgruntled by the news, but he has taken to Twitter to reveal that he’s “kinda into it”.
Kasdan’s positive spin on the news harks back to a time when Disney titles weren’t readily available for consumption, with fans having to wait for a cinema re-release, which arguably made them that little bit more magical. He said “I grew up at a time when Disney movies were periodically re-released and not available to own, and it made them… more special.”
I’ve been quiet on this news that #Willow is leaving @DisneyPlus ’cause… I’m kinda into it. I grew up at a time when @Disney movies were periodically re-released and not available to own, and it made them… more special. I worry about many things…
— Jon Kasdan (@JonKasdan) May 22, 2023
Kasdan continued to say that Willow could be made available again, on Disney+ or “someplace else”, before signing off on an optimistic note with “ya never know where that could lead… stranger things have happened”.
Willow was only released at the end of 2022, and featured the returning Warwick Davis and Joanne Whalley, along with Ruby Cruz, Erin Kellyman, Ellie Bamber, Tony Revolori, Amer Chadha-Patel, Dempsey Bryk, Talisa Garcia, Rosabell Laurenti Sellers and Ralph Ineson.
Were you a fan of the small-screen return of Willow Ufgood? Let us know what you think of Disney’s decision to remove the show from their streaming service by heading to our social channels @flickeringmyth…
An epic period fantasy series with a modern sensibility set in an enchanted land of breathtaking beauty, “Willow” began with an aspiring magician from a Nelwyn village and an infant girl destined to unite the realms, who together helped destroy an evil queen and banish the forces of darkness. Now, in a magical world where brownies, sorcerers, trolls, and other mystical creatures flourish, the adventure continues, as an unlikely group of heroes set off on a dangerous quest to places far beyond their home, where they must face their inner demons and come together to save their world.
Willow will no longer be available to stream on Disney+ from May 26, 2023.
