The WILLOW Sequel Series Gets the Official Greenlight From Disney+! Jon M. Chu Will Direct

Ron Howard and Jon Kasdan have been working hard on developing a Willow sequel series, and it looks like all that work has paid off! Disney+ has officially greenlit the Lucasfilm project, and it will move into the next phases of development!

This is exciting news! The fans have been excited about the possibility of this series coming to life, and now that it’s actually happening, I couldn’t be happier! It was also announced that Jon M. Chu (In The Heights, Crazy Rich Asians) will direct the pilot and will serve as executive producer along with showrunners Jon Kasdan (Solo) and Wendy Mericle (Arrow). Kasdan wrote the pilot episode.

The magical world of George Lucas’ Willow, the epic fantasy adventure set in an age of swords, sorcery, myths and monsters, will be returning in a Disney+ series slated to begin production next year.

The series takes place years after the events of the original Willow film. “It introduces all-new characters to the enchanted realm of fairy queens and two-headed Eborsisk monsters, and welcomes back its namesake hero, Willow Ufgood, performed once again by the unmatchable Warwick Davis. Chu said in a statement:

“Growing up in the ’80s, ‘Willow’ has had a profound effect on me. 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.”

Howard, the director of the original film, returns as executive producer on the series with Bob Dolman, writer of the original film, serving as consulting producer. Howard shared the following:

“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. 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.” 

Davis added:

“So many fans have asked me over the years if Willow will make a return, and now I’m thrilled to tell them that he will indeed. Many have told me they grew up with ‘Willow’ and that the film has influenced how they view heroism in our own world. If Willow Ufgood can represent the heroic potential in all of us, then he is a character I am extremely honored to reprise.”

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy went on to say:

“This is an exciting new era for storytelling at Lucasfilm. Jon Chu's vision, coupled with the writing of Jon Kasdan and Wendy Mericle, is going to take Willow into new and exciting directions for the series. Reuniting Ron Howard and Warwick Davis in the world of ‘Willow’ is something that they've both wanted to do for some time, and I couldn’t be more proud of the incredible team we’ve put together to bring this series to Disney+.”

This is freakin’ fantastic, and I can’t wait to see how the series turn out and see Willow’s journey continue after all these years!

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