Willow: Disney Plus Sequel Series Set With Warwick Davis, Director Jon M. Chu

Disney is moving forward with its Willow sequel series, and both star Warwick Davis and original director Ron Howard are set to return. Disney's press release confirms earlier rumors of a Disney Plus-exclusive Willow series featuring Davis reprising the titular role. Howard will executive produce the series alongside John M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians). Chu is also directing the pilot episode. Jonathan Kasdan (Solo: A Star Wars Story) and Wendy Mericle (Arrow) will executive produce the series and serve as showrunners. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=19-shows-we-want-to-see-on-disneys-streaming-service&captions=true"] “Growing up in the ’80s, ‘Willow’ has had a profound effect on me,” said Chu in Disney's press release. “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.” Disney confirms the series will be set years after the events of the original 1988 film and will again be shot primarily in Wales. It's unclear if any of the movie's other stars will be reprising their roles, and no other actors have been revealed yet. “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 honored to reprise.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2012/12/13/willow-blu-ray-trailer"] As the press release notes, this will be Lucasfilm's first live-action, non-Star Wars-related project since the 2015 release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Production is expected to begin in 2021, and no release date has been given yet. Howard previously teased the Willow series in July 2020, noting that the series hadn't been officially greenlit but "they have a great group of writers and it's in very active development." To find out more about the other Lucasfilms, check out our rundown of all of the ambitious movies that were not Star Wars. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

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