Revival shows are all the rage these days, and it wasn’t long before someone resurrected Willow, the cult fantasy from the ‘80s. The Ron Howard adventure wasn’t a hit when it was released, but it gained traction on home video, making it all the more apropos that it would re-materialize on the small screen. Alas, just like its predecessor, it faced a grim future: Last week it was cancelled after only one season. But things don’t die in the world of content, and its showrunner isn’t giving up on it.
— Jon Kasdan (@JonKasdan) March 17, 2023
— Jon Kasdan (@JonKasdan) March 17, 2023
Jon Kasdan — who collaborated with his filmmaking legend father Lawrence on Solo: A Star Wars Story, and who has a credit on the forthcoming fifth Indiana Jones — took to Twitter days after the show’s axing to offer some hope for its fans. While he acknowledges the show was indeed given the boot, he claims that no one, not even Lucasfilm staffers, would say the show only lasted one season.
Kasdan claimed the “less splashy” version of what went down with Willow was that the cast and crew were released from their contracts so they wouldn’t have to wait around for another season, which may take awhile, if it happens at all. He cites at least one cast member, Nellie Andreeva, who plays Mims, who’s already taken another gig.
Besides, as he points out, for complicated reasons, “production of streaming shows is slowing down across the entire industry.” That’s one reason why Willow, Kasdan acknowledged, “won’t resume filming in the next 12 months.”
That said, Kasdan is cautiously optimistic for Volume II. “Three weeks ago,” he wrote, “we got a third season of Party Down, 13 years after season two. Between season 2 and 3 of Atlanta? 4 years. Curb Your Enthusiasm seasons 8 and 9 had a hiatus of 6 years.”
Disney was apparently a bit meddling during production of Willow, but when or if ever they greenlight Volume II, Kasdan will be ready. A bunch of scripts are already done, and he even has plans for Volume III. He promises the next season “is all about courage, desire, acceptance and the comedy and beauty to be found in even the darkest places and moments.” So you might be seeing Warwick Davis’ now-grizzled titular hero.
(Via The AV Club)