Disney+ has canceled a major new show after just one season. Deadline reports that Willow will not be returning to the streaming service for new episodes. No word on what the cause of the cancellation may be, but the show did do well with critics, even earning a Rotten Tomatoes score of 83% Fresh.
Willow debuted in November and concluded its 8-episode run in January. The series is a sequel to the iconic 1988 film of the same name, and features actor Warwick Davis reprising his role as Willow Ufgood, a Nelwyn sorcerer. A synopsis of the series reads: “It has been more than 20 years since Queen Bavmorda was defeated. An unlikely group of six heroes sets 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 from the Gales.”
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In addition to Davis, the Willow series also starred Ellie Bamber, Ruby Cruz, Erin Kellyman, Tony Revolori, Amar Chadha-Patel, and Dempsey Bryk. Additional actors who made guest appearances include Ralph Ineson, Hannah Waddingham, Kevin Pollak, and Christian Slater. The show was developed by Jonathan Kasdan — who co-wrote Solo: A Star Wars Story — as based on characters created by George Lucas.
Back in November, Davis and Kasdan sat down with Collider to discuss Willow, which the series star says he “certainly” did not expect to ever happen. “Absolutely not. For years, it’s been talked about, not by anyone official, but by the fans,” Davis said. “They’ve constantly pestered me, saying, ‘When are we going to see a sequel to that movie?’ And it’s a question that I could never answer, until I met Jon Kasdan, who I understood was also a fan. I wondered, on the set of Solo, who had let him onto a set with no fans allowed because he was obsessed, talking about Willow. I was like, ‘Surely we should be concentrating on making this Star Wars story here, shouldn’t we?’”
Kasdan quipped, “I wasn’t interested in that.” Davis then continued, “He just wanted to talk about Willow. It was decided that there should indeed be more Willow, and so that was the catalyst for this project to happen, and it happened very quickly, in Hollywood terms. It wasn’t years and years of development. Before I knew it, I was on the set in Wales, for the very first day of filming, once again looking just like Willow, but a slightly older, more mature, better-looking version who was sexier.” All episodes of Willow are now streaming on Disney+.
