‘Willow’ EP Jon Kasdan On Harnessing The ‘Magical And Mysterious’ Qualities Of The Coming-Of-Age Genre For The Disney+ Series
deadline.comIt’s been 34 years since Lucasfilm’s Willow debuted in theaters. But in the fantasy world first created by Ron Howard and Nigel Wooll in 1988, only about half that amount of time has passed since Willow Ufgood (played by Warwick Davis) rescued the infant empress Elora Danan from the forces of evil.
In the whimsical Disney+ sequel series, which launches with two episodes on Wednesday, the Nelwyn sorcerer is returning to lead another group of misfit heroes on a harrowing rescue mission.
Series creator Jon Kasdan told Deadline he was ready to welcome fans of the film back into the world of Willow, while also greeting a new audience. “We knew we wanted to try to achieve what Ron had always said to me he felt was the the intention of the movie, which was to give you something that was like a light-hearted, bouncy, thrilling ride that you could eat in a single serving,” executive producer Jon Kasdan told Deadline.
With plenty of other fantasy shows vying for audiences’ attention right now, creating a low barrier to entry for those who aren’t as familiar with the source material was a priority for the producer, who added that he wanted the series to “feel very contemporary, very hip, and a little meta in certain places.” At the start of the series, viewers learn that Elora has been in hiding since she was saved from Queen Bavmorda.
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