Willow showrunner Jonathan Kasdan explained the behind-the-scenes situation of the show’s future after reports surfaced that the series was canceled. Kasdan, who previously worked with Disney on Solo: A Star Wars Story, said the show’s cast was simply released from their contracts while Disney considers the series’ future. Willow was a follow-up to the 1988 film directed by Ron Howard, with characters created by George Lucas.
Back on March 15, Deadline reported that Willow was canceled. However, Kasdan said the truth was “less splashy,” and that the main cast was released from their contracts so they could accept other opportunities. “With all the TV and movies in production around the world, it feels unfair to limit an actor’s availability without a clear sense of when you’re going to need them again,” Kasdan wrote. “It’s further trivialized by the simple reality that the scripts we’ve been working on require just as many actors (from our first season) with whom no such contractual hold exists.” He assured fans that if Annabelle Davis does take another job, she can still star in Season 2 as Mims.
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“If you’re asking what this means for you as a viewer or me as the creator, here’s what I think it means,” Kascan continued. “Due to forces much larger and more intricate than I would ever pretend to fully understand, production of streaming shows is slowing down across the entire industry, and Willow won’t resume filming in the next 12 months.”
Kasdan later wrote that just because Willow Season 2 isn’t even starting pre-production now, that does not mean it will never happen. “Three weeks ago, we got a third season of Party Down, 13 years after season two,” Kasdan wrote. “Between seasons two and three of Atlanta? 4 years. Curb Your Enthusiasm seasons 8 and 9 had a hiatus of 6 years. Not to mention, this little movie I love called Willow, that didn’t get its well-deserved sequel for 35 years.” The writer also promised that what he has in store for Season 2 will “only be cooler, funner, and more exciting for the momentary break I’m now afforded.”
While Kasdan sounds optimistic about the future of Willow, nothing is guaranteed. Studios often order scripts for more episodes of shows, but that’s not a guarantee that they will be filmed. Willow did attract positive reviews, but the series simply didn’t become a major pop culture phenomenon like Disney+’s Marvel and Star Wars shows. Willow introduced several new characters to the world established in the 1988 film while bringing back Warwick Davis as the title character.
Willow was the first live-action project from Lucasfilm since Disney bought the studio in 2012 outside of the Star Wars universe. Although the studio does have Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny coming up, Lucasfilm has been focused on figuring out the theatrical future of Star Wars while successful TV projects like The Mandalorian and Andor continue. Ahsoka, The Acolyte, and Skeleton Crew are also coming soon.
