Image: Lucasfilm Ltd.
Willow is ready for his comeback, and he’ll have some support from Jon M. Chu.
The Crazy Rich Asians director will helm the pilot of the once-rumored, now-confirmed Disney+ series. The series is set after the events of the 1988 film, bringing back star Warwick Davis as Willow Ufgood and Ron Howard, who directed the original, as an executive producer alongside Chu, Solo writer Jonathan Kasdan, and Arrow EP Wendy Mericle (the latter two also serve as showrunners).
Willow is a relatively obscure fantasy epic that Lucasfilm released in 1988, hoping to launch a new franchise in the midst of its Star Wars and Indiana Jones successes. The movie was a modest box office success, but never took off as a series even with Val Kilmer – then at the height of his popularity – in a starring role.
Howard had hinted at plans for a Willow sequel back in 2018, and at some point between then and 2019 the idea evolved into a TV series destined for Disney+. The announcement that Chu is directing also serves as a formal declaration from Disney that the series is officially happening.
“Growing up in the ’80s, Willow has had a profound effect on me,” Chu said in a 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.”
There’s no further word on casting at this point, though with Kilmer seemingly out of the acting game for good, you can expect to see some new faces. There’s also no timetable for the release or even the start of production, but much of it will be shot in Wales just like the original film.