A new prophecy has been revealed: The magical world of Disney Legend George Lucas’ Willow, the epic fantasy adventure set in an age of swords, sorcery, myths, and monsters, will return in a Disney+ series slated to begin production next year! The production plans to return to the majestic landscapes of Wales, where much of the 1988 classic was filmed.

Jon M. Chu is set to direct the pilot, and will serve as executive producer along with showrunners Jonathan Kasdan and Wendy Mericle; Kasdan also wrote the Willow pilot. Ron Howard, director of the original Willowfilm, returns as executive producer on the series, while Bob Dolman, writer of the original film, serves as a consulting producer. Kathleen Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan, Chu, Kasdan, Mericle and Imagine Television are also executive producers, while Roopesh Parekh and Hannah Friedman serve as co-executive producers. Bob Dolman serves as consulting producer and Julia Cooperman is a producer.

Jon M. Chu

“Growing up in the ’80s, Willow has had a profound effect on me,” says Chu. “The story of the bravest heroes in the least likely places allowed me, an Asian-American kid growing up in a Chinese restaurant looking to go to Hollywood, to believe in the power of our own will, determination, and of course, inner magic. So, the fact that I get to work with my heroes from Kathleen Kennedy to Ron Howard is bigger than a dream come-true. It’s a bucket-list moment for me. Jon Kasdan and Wendy Mericle have added such groundbreaking new characters and delightful surprises to this timeless story that I can’t wait for the world to come along on this epic journey with us.”

Says Howard, “It’s creatively exciting to not only revisit the world and characters first conceived by George Lucas, Bob Dolman and myself but to see it take flight in such fresh, fun and cinematic ways through the imagination of Jon Kasdan and Team Willow. This isn’t a nostalgic throw-back, it’s a creative lean-forward and it’s a blast to be a part of it all.”

Willow

The series, Lucasfilm’s first venture into non-Star Wars storytelling since 2015, takes place years after the events of the original Willow film. It introduces all-new characters to the enchanted realm of fairy queens and two-headed Eborsisk monsters, and welcomes back its namesake hero, Willow Ufgood, performed once again by the one and only Warwick Davis.

“So many fans have asked me over the years if Willow will make a return, and now I’m thrilled to tell them that he will indeed,” says Davis. “Many have told me they grew up with Willow and that the film has influenced how they view heroism in our own world. If Willow Ufgood can represent the heroic potential in all of us, then he is a character I am extremely honored to reprise.”

Warwick Davis

“This is an exciting new era for storytelling at Lucasfilm,” adds Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm. “Jon Chu’s vision, coupled with the writing of Jon Kasdan and Wendy Mericle, is going to take Willow into new and exciting directions for the series. Reuniting Ron Howard and Warwick Davis in the world of Willow is something that they’ve both wanted to do for some time, and I couldn’t be more proud of the incredible team we’ve put together to bring this series to Disney+.”