It may be Star Wars Celebration, but Lucasfilm came pretty close to stealing the show by revealing the release date and trailer for the Willow TV series. For those who don’t know, this Disney Plus series is a continuation of Ron Howard’s classic 1988 fantasy epic, starring the one and only Warwick Davis in the title role. A sorcerer, in the first film Willow went on an incredible quest to protect an infant girl, and now he’s back thirty-four years later. The series is set to debut on November 30th, 2022.
The teaser trailer reveals our first look at the older and wiser Willow, who leads a new, younger group of heroes in this sequel. One cool thing revealed at Star Wars Celebration is that Joanne Whalley is back as her character Sorsha, who was the daughter of the movie’s big baddie, Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh), but was won over to Willow’s side by the romantic rogue, Madmartigan—played by Val Kilmer. So far, Kilmer doesn’t seem to be part of the series, but who knows – maybe his involvement is a surprise. Despite his health issues, Kilmer is still working and is quite effective in Top Gun: Maverick so here’s hoping he’s back too.
Here’s the official synopsis from Disney:
An epic period fantasy series with a modern sensibility set in an enchanted land of breathtaking beauty, “Willow” features a diverse international cast with Jonathan Kasdan, Ron Howard, Wendy Mericle, Kathleen Kennedy, and Michelle Rejwan serving as executive producers. The story began with an aspiring magician from a Nelwyn village and an infant girl destined to unite the realms, who together helped destroy an evil queen and banish the forces of darkness. Now, in a magical world where brownies, sorcerers, trolls, and other mystical creatures flourish, the adventure continues, as an unlikely group of heroes set off on a dangerous quest to places far beyond their home, where they must face their inner demons and come together to save their world.
I gotta say- pretty excited to see Willow finally get a continuation, even if its bittersweet now that the original composer, James Horner, is no longer with us. His music gave Willow its magic, so hopefully they at least are able to use his themes.
What did you think of the Willow tv series trailer?