Willow (TV series)

Willow
Genre
Based onCharacters
by George Lucas
Developed byJonathan Kasdan
Starring
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
Producers
Production locationWales
Cinematography
Editors
  • Miikka Leskinen
  • Adam Green
  • Stephen O'Connell
  • Tara Timpone
Running time46–60 minutes
Production companyLucasfilm
Budget$156.8 million[2]
Original release
NetworkDisney+
ReleaseNovember 30, 2022 (2022-11-30) –
January 11, 2023 (2023-01-11)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Willow is an American fantasy adventure television series based on and serving as a sequel to the 1988 film of the same name. Warwick Davis, the original actor of Willow Ufgood in the 1988 film, reprised his role for the show. Val Kilmer was unable to reprise his role as Madmartigan and his son Jack Kilmer voiced a cameo appearance of the character instead. Produced by Lucasfilm, the series was mostly filmed in Wales in April 2021,[3] and premiered on the streaming service Disney+ on November 30, 2022.

In March 2023, the series was officially cancelled after only one season,[4] though Jonathan Kasdan stated that the series was on hiatus.[5] Kasdan noted that Season 2 had already been written and expressed his hopes that it would be made.[4] Reporters noted that the cancellation occurred as media companies, including Disney+, were seeking to reduce costs for streaming content in order to increase profitability.[4]

The series was officially removed from Disney+ on May 26, 2023, amidst a Disney+ and Hulu content-removal purge, as part of a broader cost-cutting initiative under Disney CEO Bob Iger.[6]

  1. ^ "James Newton Howard to Compose Music for Disney+ Series 'Willow'". Film Music Reporter. September 8, 2021. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  2. ^ "'Willow' Budget Ballooned Beyond $150 Million Before Disney Axed The Show". Forbes.
  3. ^ Nisbet, Megan (December 26, 2022). "The TV shows of 2022 that showcased just how magnificent Wales is". WalesOnline. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Andreeva, Nellie (March 15, 2023). "'Willow' Canceled After One Season On Disney+". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hiatus1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference removed was invoked but never defined (see the help page).