In recent Q&A event by The Bearded Trio, when asked about the previously announced spinoff series for the iconic 80s’ film Willow, Oscar-winning filmmaker Ron Howard honestly answered that he can’t really reveal any big announcements about the potential series but he did confirm that the sequel is still currently in development.
“Well, if I say anything too concrete it’s gonna go viral because anytime I say anything about Willow, people take it all very seriously,” Howard said (via JoBlo). “I will say that, let’s see…what can I say? It’s still in development. It doesn’t have a green light. Warwick Davis is thrilled by it and if we are lucky enough for it to go, he would come back as Willow.”
He also revealed they have already started scouting for filming locations in the UK with scripts still being developed. “We are far enough along that in a very tentative way, locations are beginning to be scouted, and we don’t know where we’re going to shoot, but we have gotten some research photos back from Wales. It’s nice to think about where our old knock bar was, and again no idea if we’re gonna get to make the show but we’re having a wonderful time developing the scripts under Jonathan Kasdan who is leading the charge.”
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Willow remains a rip-roaring, bizarre 80s adventure, boasting some incredible (for its time) FX, great performances, and a masterful score by the late James Horner. You can watch it now on Disney+ or buy a copy of it here.
Over three decades ago, Ron Howard teamed up with George Lucas on the fantasy film called Willow. In 1987, Lucas produced Willow, and Howard directed the movie; which featured Warwick Davis as a would-be magician, Willow Ufgood. While the movie only had a modest box office run, Willow has gone on to become a cult film.
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Although Willow never got a cinematic sequel, Lucas and former X-Men writer Chris Claremont did create a trilogy of novels set in that world. In 1995, Shadow Moon kicked off the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy. In that story, the focus shifted from Willow to Elora Danan, the young girl whom Willow had protected when she was an infant.
Presumably, any Willow sequel series won’t be bound by any of the events of the Shadow War books but will serve as a continuation of the original film’s story.
