Is the Disney+ ‘Willow’ Series a Sequel to the 1988 Movie?

2022’s Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim saw several exciting announcements about upcoming projects from both Disney+ and Lucasfilm, but one of the most surprising non-Star Wars announcements was about the new Willow series coming to Disney+.

During the Lucasfilm Studio Showcase on Thursday, director Ron Howard and returning stars Warwick Davis and Joanne Whalley joined executive producer Jonathan Kasdan and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy in presenting the brand new trailer for the Willow series, along with the reveal of three of its new stars: Ruby Cruz, Ellie Bamber, and Erin Kellyman. In addition to the first look and casting announcement, the crew behind Willow also announced that the new series will debut on November 30 on Disney+.

What is Willow about?

The series is going to follow three young heroines: Kit (the daughter of Sorsha and Madmartigan), Jade, and Dove as they seek out the infamously powerful sorcerer Willow to help save their land from a great evil. Disney+ describes the series as an “epic period fantasy series with a modern sensibility, set in an enchanted land of breathtaking beauty.” The heroes will face many dangers, along with their own inner demons, but they have to come together in order to save the world. 

The cast of the new series includes Ruby Cruz as Kit, Erin Kellyman as Jade, and Ellie Bamber as Dove, along with Warwick Davis reprising the role of Willow. Other cast includes Tony Revolori (Spider-Man: No Way Home), Amar Chadha Patel (The Third Day), and Dempsey Bryk. Executive Producer Jonathan Kasdan developed the series and wrote the pilot episode.

Is it a sequel to the 1988 film?

Yes! The original 1988 film starred Warwick Davis as the titular “Willow,” a young farmer and aspiring magician from a Nelwyn village who is drawn into a dangerous quest with the warrior Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) to protect an infant that is prophesied to overthrow the evil Queen Bavmorda. Bavmorda sends out her daughter, Sorsha (Joanne Whalley), to capture the infant, but ultimately, she falls for Madmartigan and defies her mother’s plans.

The series will pick up 18–20 years after the events of the original film, with a new generation of heroes once again calling on the power of Willow.

(featured image: Disney+/Lucasfilm)

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