Sad news Willow fans. Disney+ has canceled Warwick Davis’ fantasy sequel series after just one season
Willow has reached the end of his journey. Sadly, despite the season finale implying that more adventures await the intrepid sorcerer, Disney has officially canceled Willow. The long-awaited follow-up to Ron Howard’s classic movie was released at the back end of last year to critical acclaim. Most notably from me! But despite the creatives behind the series mapping out at least another two seasons, the series has become the latest show to be put out to pasture.
In recent weeks, the studio has been tightening its belt to ensure the profitability of Disney Plus. And sadly, projects beneath the Lucasfilm umbrella aren’t immune to being put forward for the chopping block. Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron was the first project to be shelved. And most recently, Kevin Feige’s Star Wars pet project became a shock victim of the shakeup. This comes hot on the heels of Marvel Studios announcing a brief rollback in production to make the business model more viable.
DISNEY PLUS
Unfortunately for Willow, Elora, and her travel companions, this appears to be the end of the road. With so many projects already well into production, Disney seems to be reluctant to pour more cash into the tank. Which is understandable. The turnover of content has been exhausting. Star Wars has enjoyed a renaissance with shows like The Mandalorian, The Book Of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, and Andor. And already speeding toward release are Jon Favreau’s latest passion projects Ahsoka and Skeleton Crew.
Marvel on the other hand has been churning out content by the bucketload. Wandavision, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk have already launched on the platform. And Loki Season 2 is already penciled in to release later this summer. So the slowing of production was an inevitability. But it’s sad to see Willow becoming a victim of the cutbacks.
CULT CLASSIC
Although the series wasn’t exactly a cultural phenomenon like its predecessor, the series was a joy. The landscapes were rich and rewarding, the costumes were imaginative, and the story was compelling. However, the modern terminology and the use of “real world” slang shattered the fantasy for some long-term fans. And if you can’t win over the fans, you’re deadweight.
Whether or not the series can be revived at some point in the future remains to be seen. But in the current climate where streamers are cutting content to ensure the sustainability of their platforms, it might be a hard sell. But stranger things have happened. Until then Willow will return home, safe in the knowledge that he’ll be there when we need him. Thanks, Peck!
Ron Howard’s Willow and Jon Kasdan’s follow-up series are now streaming on Disney Plus.
Author
Phil Roberts is the Owner, Daily Content Manager, and Editor-In-Chief of The Future of the Force. He is passionate about Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Follow him on Twitter where he uses the force and babbles frequently!
