Willow sequel to film in Wales for Disney+

Disney+ has confirmed that Jon M Chu will direct a new Willow series with filming set to take place in Wales early next year. 

The show reunites Warwick Davis, who will reprise his role of Willow Ufgood, and the director of the original film, Ron Howard, who will executive produce.  

The series, which is Lucasfilm’s first non-Star Wars scripted project since 2015, takes place years after the events of the original Willow film. It introduces all-new characters to the kingdom of fairy queens and two-headed Eborsisk monsters.

“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,” said Davis. “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 honoured to reprise.”

Jon M. Chu (“In The Heights,” “Crazy Rich Asians”) will direct the pilot, and will serve as executive producer along with showrunners Jonathan Kasdan and Wendy Mericle. Jonathan Kasdan wrote the pilot.

“Growing up in the ’80s, ‘Willow’ has had a profound effect on me,” said Chu. “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, director of the original “Willow” film, returns as executive producer on the series with Bob Dolman, writer of the original film, serving as consulting producer.

“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.”

“This is an exciting new era for storytelling at Lucasfilm,” commented Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. “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+.”

Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan, Chu, Kasdan, Mericle, Howard and Imagine Television will serve as executive producers, with Roopesh Parekh and Hannah Friedman as co-executive producers. Bob Dolman will serve as consulting producer with Julia Cooperman as producer.

Willow image: Disney
Jon M Chu image: Steve Granitz - © 2019 Steve Granitz - Image courtesy gettyimages