After several years of rumours and small updates, Disney has officially given the greenlight to a television series of Willow in what will be a sequel to the original 1988 film. Warwick Davis will return as Willow with Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) directing the series.
Original director Ron Howard will executive produce the series alongside Chu. Jonathan Kasdan (Solo: A Star Wars Story) and Wendy Mericle (Arrow) are set as the showrunners with Willow screenwriter Bob Dolman serving as a consulting producer. Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy will also executive produce with Kasdan, Mericle and Michelle Rejwan.
Willow followed Davis’ Willow, who had to reluctantly protect a special infant named Elora Danan, who was prophesized to defeat an evil queen and end her tyrannical rule. Davis starred alongside Val Kilmer, Jean Marsh, Joanne Whalley, Billy Barty and Kevin Pollak.
“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.”
“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,” said Howard. “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.”
Ricky Church – Follow me on Twitter for more movie news and nerd talk.
