After releasing the greatness that is Andor, Lucasfilm is debuting its next show on Disney+. Set years after the original 1988 film, WILLOW is a sequel show once again featuring an older and wiser Warwick Davis as he sets out on a quest to save the son of Sorsha, played by Joanne Whalley who’s reprising her role from the original film as well. The rest of the cast is made up of princesses, scholars, thieves, and knights who aid and follow Willow on his journey.

Recently, Nightmarish Conjurings took part in the global press conference for WILLOW. The press conference was attended by Warwick Davis (“Willow Ufgood”), Dempsey Bryk (“Airk”), Ruby Cruz (“Kit”), Ellie Bamber (“Dove”), Tony Revolori (“Graydon”), Erin Kellyman (“Jade”), Amar Chadha-Patel (“Boorman”), and Jon Kasdan (Writer and Executive Producer).

When asked if he ever thought there would be a follow-up to Willow, star Warwick Davis responded, “Certainly not, no, absolutely not. For years it’s been talked about, not by anyone official but by the fans. They’ve constantly pestered me, [asking], ‘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.”

Kasdan, son of screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan who was a frequent collaborator with Lucasfilm, has worked with Lucasfilm previously on the film Solo: A Star Wars Story. There he met Ron Howard who directed the original Willow film. While on set for Solo, Kasdan, along with Ron Howard and Warwick Davis, talked about the possibilities of creating WILLOW. Kasdan chimed in at the conference, “I think everyone got that, and everyone appreciated that, that there was something really special in the opportunity to bring this character back to the screen.”

Joining the universe of WILLOW

Actor Tony Revolori, who plays young scholar Graydon, was excited about the opportunity to be a part of the continued story. “I actually watched it with my parents and my brother,” he stated. “I love the film. I fell in love with the magic of the world and when this opportunity came around, I was excited and honored.”

When asked about working with Warwick Davis, actress Ruby Cruz emotionally proclaimed, “Honestly, just being in his presence was a lesson in its own right, getting to just be around someone who’s so good at what he does, and someone who’s such a professional in what they do. Watching him be able to just switch it on and off, which is something I really struggle with, was huge. Coming in, he’d just waltz on set, and then suddenly he’d be in the most emotional state.”

In fact, the whole cast, along with writer Jonathan Kasdan, had nothing but good things to say about Warwick and their experience creating WILLOW. Addressing Tony Revolori about training for the show, Amar Chadha-Patel joked, “I have a video of you doing a pretty impressive knife trick on day one which I cannot wait to upload. It’s got sound effects and everything.” Chadha-Patel who plays Boorman, a thief and prisoner offered freedom for joining the quest, went on to say “One of my favorite things about the show is that no character has it figured out at all. And that is so true to life. The entire quest is not just a physical one to rescue someone, it’s also about us figuring out what the hell we’re doing.”

An emotional return

Davis, on his return to the world he had originally helped to create, stated, “One of the most enjoyable
things about the series are the callbacks to events that had happened in the film. I think fans will get a kick out of it. In particular, Nockmaar was one of those particular places that, for me, really gave me the shivers. I was standing somewhere that Bavmorda would have sat, and still felt her presence in that area. That just shows you how powerful the film was.”

Reflecting on the show that will soon debut on Disney’s streaming service, Davis got emotional saying, “The experience was a fun one. It’s one I look back on with great affection and fondness. What makes projects special are the people you work with. This amazing ensemble cast we have here, and Jon our writer, the various directors we had throughout the series as well.” He would also mention Kathleen Kennedy, who heads up the Lucasfilm arm of Disney, and original film director Ron Howard, who was a guiding light on the show.

WILLOW begins streaming exclusively on Disney+ starting November 30th, 2022.