It’s no secret that George Lucas struggled to develop 1988’s “Willow.” Lucas hatched his idea for the film before “Star Wars,” but he couldn’t make it until he approached Ron Howard to direct in 1985. Shortly afterward, MGM entered the production process, Bob Dolman came on board to pen the script, and things moved forward. And while Lucas was very hands-on during the writing process of “Willow,” Dolman preferred that experience to the one he just had writing the Disney+ sequel series on the streamer now.

Continue reading ‘Willow’: Film Writer Says New Disney+ Sequel’s Creative Process Had “More Of A Corporate Feeling” Than The 1988 Film at The Playlist.

Based on a story conceived by George Lucas in 1972, Ron Howard’s 1988 epic fantasy film “Willow,” starring Val Kilmer and Warwick Davis, topped off a decade of stellar high fantasy films. The two played the charming mercenary Madmartigan and a farmer (and aspiring sorcerer) named Willow. Together, they team up to save an infant princess named Elora, who is prophesied to deliver their world from a great evil. 

Continue reading ‘Willow’ Review: No Magic In The World Can Save This Underdeveloped Legacy Sequel at The Playlist.

If you’re a fan of Ron Howard’s fantasy film, “Willow,” you’re probably someone who enjoys the chemistry between the title character, played by Warwick Davis, and his cohort on the adventure, Madmartigan, played by Val Kilmer. The 1988 film was positioned right in the sweet spot of Val Kilmer’s career, where he was emerging as one of the biggest and most charismatic stars on the planet, following films like “Top Gun,” “Real Genius,” and “Top Secret.” So, with “Willow” getting a reboot on Disney+ this week, fans were probably hoping to see Kilmer reprise his role.

Continue reading ‘Willow’: Jonathan Kasdan Says Val Kilmer Had To Be Written Out Of Reboot Due To COVID Concerns at The Playlist.

Perhaps sensing that the movie release slate in November would overwhelm many of us, television has slowed down (a touch) with most of the month, including returns of TV favorites. While shows like the much debated and buzzed about “The Crown” will see dominance in the discourse, there are also shows such as “Mythic Quest,” which has been overshadowed by some of its more audience-friendly streaming peers (like “Ted Lasso”) and “Gangs of London” which created a small but loyal following in its first season. 

While “Andor” ends this month, Disney+ has a new, nostalgia-filled series to take its place with the premiere of “Willow,” a sequel to the 1988 original film.

Continue reading 11 TV Shows To Watch In November: ‘The Crown,’ ‘Yellowstone,’ ‘Willow’ & More at The Playlist.

Director Ron Howard’s 1988 film “Willow” allowed Lucasfilm to play within the world of sword and sorcery. Warwick Davis, who as a young lad played a main Ewok in “Star Wars: Return of The Jedi,” got to fill the role of underdog hero. Decades later, a sequel series is headed to Disney+ courtesy of Jonathan Kasdan, the co-writer of “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” The new series will also bring back Davis in the role of the titular magician as a group of young heroes need his help.

Continue reading ‘Willow’ Series Trailer: Lucasfilm Returns To The World Of Magic On November 30 [D23 Expo] at The Playlist.

The 2022 television year has already produced acclaimed new series like “Severance” and “The Staircase,” alongside the return of critical darlings like “Better Call Saul” and “Barry.” With four months left in the calendar year, what do the streaming giants and cable networks have yet to debut? We collected the 40 most exciting shows that either have release dates scheduled between now and New Year’s Eve or could theoretically drop into the holiday season instead of waiting for 2023.

Continue reading Fall 2022 TV Preview: Over 45 Series To Watch at The Playlist.

Move over, “Star Wars” series: there’s another Lucasfilm property headed to Disney+ this fall. A sequel to Ron Howard‘s 1988 film “Willow” heads to the streamer right after Thanksgiving this year and sees the inimitable Warwick Davis return to the starring role.

READ MORE: ‘Andor’ Trailer: Tony Gilroy, Diego Luna & More Tell The Origin Of The ‘Star Wars’ Rebel Spy

Plot details are slim on the new series, but “Willow” follows the Nelwyn dwarf sorcerer Willow Ufgood on an all-new adventure years after Howard’s film, as a princess assembles a party on a quest to rescue her twin brother, and Willow tags along.

Continue reading ‘Willow’ Teaser Trailer: A New Fantasy Adventure Awaits On Disney+ November 30 at The Playlist.

Lucasfilm in 2022 is a bit of a mystery. Sure, the company has a steady stream of “Star Wars” TV series coming out (as the studio tries to figure out where to take the film franchise), but what else is Kathleen Kennedy up to? Well, we know there’s a new “Willow” series. And there’s a new “Indiana Jones” that might eventually be released (it’s been delayed for years for one reason or another and is seemingly in production now).

Continue reading Lucasfilm To Focus Entirely On Legacy Franchises After ‘Children Of Blood & Bone’ Creative Issues at The Playlist.

At the risk of repeating ourselves, though we do encourage you to read our intro and list of the Best TV Shows & Mini-Series of 2021, there is a lot of television out there and it’s only growing. And growing immensely. With the advent of the streaming age and then the super-charged streaming age of the last two/three years. In trying to catch up to Netflix, Disney+ launched November 2019, AppleTV+ and HBO Max weren’t far behind and now pretty much every company in movies and television has its own streaming network.

Continue reading The 70 Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2022 at The Playlist.

The “Willow” TV series has found its new director. After Jon M. Chu left due to personal reasons, the co-creator and director of “End of the F***ing World” and “I Am Not Okay With This,” Jonathan Entwistle, has been tapped to direct the pilot episode of the upcoming Disney+ show.

READ MORE: Jon M.

Continue reading ‘Willow’ TV Series Finds New Director In ‘The End Of The F***ing World’ Co-Creator at The Playlist.

Disney’s penchant for grabbing existing IP from the shelf and dusting it off for a new audience is happening yet again with “Willow.” The 1988 film drew a cult following over the decades for its fun performances from stars Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer. Unfortunately, a sequel never came to fruition. But with Disney+, the studio is willing to greenlight anything with franchise potential, so we’re getting a brand-new “Willow” sequel series.

Continue reading Tony Revolori Joins ‘Willow’ Series Coming To Disney+ at The Playlist.

One of the vast numbers of major projects Disney is working on for its streaming service, Disney+, is the long-awaited sequel series to the fantasy film, “Willow.” And fans of the film were especially excited by the announcement that filmmaker Jon M. Chu would helm a portion of the new series. Unfortunately, it appears plans are changing, as Chu has to depart the series.

Continue reading Jon M. Chu Leaves ‘Willow’ TV Series Due To Scheduling Issues at The Playlist.

It’s been a long time coming for the new Disney+ series, “Willow.” After being teased for years, last month, it was revealed that Jonathan Kasdan’s highly-anticipated streaming sequel series to the classic fantasy film, “Willow,” is not only moving forward at Disney but Jon M. Chu is attached to direct. And now, as we approach the end of 2020, we have the three leads that will join Warwick Davis in the cast of the “Willow” series.

Continue reading Cailee Spaeny, Ellie Bamber & Erin Kellyman Join Warwick Davis In ‘Willow’ Series Coming To Disney+ at The Playlist.

We’ve been talking about a new “Willow” project for over two years now. What started as talk about a sequel film morphed into discussions about a TV series, but time after time, there was nothing confirmed. It was mainly just Ron Howard wishing it into existence. Well, it appears that Disney is ready to get the ball going officially, and the studio knows the filmmaker that will expand the fantasy universe of the 1988 film.

Continue reading Jon M. Chu To Direct Disney+ ‘Willow’ Series Written By Jonathan Kasdan at The Playlist.

Sure, Lucasfilm is probably best known for “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones,” but the studio has been in the moviemaking business for a while now and has some other tricks up its sleeve. And in a new profile with the LA Times, a couple of non-“Star Wars” and non-“Indiana Jones” projects have been revealed, including an update on the highly-anticipated “Willow” series.

Continue reading ‘Solo’ Writer Jonathan Kasdan Has Already Completed One Script For ‘Willow’ Streaming Series at The Playlist.

If you are like me, and are someone that grew up on all the crazy ‘80s sci-fi and fantasy films, then you probably have a deep fondness for 1988’s “Willow.” The film featured all the action and adventure you’d expect from a fantasy film, but with a ton of heart and humor, courtesy of actors Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer (who was in peak form). So, the possibility of more “Willow,” however it comes, is nothing but a welcome idea.

Continue reading Ron Howard Confirms “Discussions” Are Underway About Potential ‘Willow’ Series On Disney+ at The Playlist.

It appears like Ron Howard’s forgotten fantasy epic “Willow” might be getting the reboot/sequel treatment.

Released on the heels of hits “Splash” and “Cocoon,” “Willow” was Howard’s attempt at fun high-fantasy, based on a story written by “Star Wars” creator George Lucas. Unfortunately, the film wasn’t a runaway success, at the time, but has developed a strong cult following over the years.

Continue reading Ron Howard Says There Has Been “A Little Talk” About ‘Willow’ Sequel at The Playlist.