The Willow series is officially a go at Disney Plus, with lead actor Warwick Davis reprising his role as Willow Ufgood from the 1988 movie. The series will take place years after the events of the movie and introduce brand new characters to the world originally created by George Lucas and LucasFilm.
It's not just Davis who's returning to Willow either. Ron Howard, who directed the movie, is signed on as an executive producer. Likewise, Willow writer Bob Dolman is serving as consulting producer on the Disney Plus series. Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu will helm the pilot episode.
"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. 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."
Production on the Willow Disney Plus series is set to begin next year in Wales, where much of the movie was filmed. And while a few Willow alumni are returning for the series, Howard says it's more than a trip down memory lane.
"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."
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