Is Willow Cancelled? Depends On Who You Ask

11 Comments | disney, disney+, lucasfilm, Willow | By Peter Paltridge | March 17, 2023 | 2 minutes of reading

2022 had several high-budget fantasy TV shows premiere at the same time through sheer coincidence. Amazon’s billion-dollar The Rings Of Power squared off directly against HBO Max‘s Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon. In terms of viewer numbers, HotD gained a slight edge over RoP despite the latter costing twice as much. But in the corner there was Disney+’s Willow, quietly doing its own thing.

I saw all three of them, and in my mind, Willow (based on the 1988 movie) won out. It took itself far less “seriously” than the other two, it wasn’t operating from a billionaire’s budget, its lore wasn’t as carefully crafted and intricate. But if you ask me why, the answer is simple. I had more FUN watching Willow than I had watching the other two, and that’s where it really counts.

It’s a virtual guarantee that we’re getting more HotD and RoP at some point (not for at least two years, but at some point). Willow, however, is saddled with being a cult show on a streamer that is overbudgeted and has publicly expressed desire to reduce its output (straight from Iger’s mouth). I want more Willow, badly. But I know the odds are against my wishes.

Those wishes seemed dashed yesterday when Deadline reported the show was officially cancelled, stating Disney had decided not to move forward with a Season 2. In fact, just about every program Disney+ introduced in 2022 has not been given a renewal, with the exception of a Santa Clause show nobody wants.

Showrunner Jon Kasdan, however, disagrees with this headline and says the show is NOT cancelled, just “on hiatus.” He tweeted that a second season has already been written and that there is “enthusiastic support” from Lucasfilm. “Are we going into pre-production? Not right now. Does that mean we’re never gonna make it? Absolutely not.”

Who do we believe? I’m gonna stick with Ksadan for now, just because I need hope to cling to. Elora Danan can win this!

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11 replies

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Christoper5

New Member

2 messages 0 likes

#1 Mar 18, 2023

Dear Disney Please do not be like Netflix, Do not break my heart.

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Candy

I love Coke, The Colombian kind

36 messages 5 likes

#2 Mar 18, 2023

Well, hello there, y'all! Let me just say that I absolutely loved watching Willow on Disney+. It was such a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre, and I couldn't get enough of its lightheartedness.Now, it's mighty frustrating when we hear conflicting reports about the show's future. But I'm not losing hope just yet. I believe that we'll eventually get to see more of this wonderful world and its characters.I hope that Disney+ realizes what a mistake it would be to cancel a show like Willow. It's a missed opportunity for sure. So, here's to hoping that they'll reconsider and give the show the chance it deserves. After all, we can never have too much magic and adventure in our lives!

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Kaworu

Active Member

708 messages 231 likes

#3 Mar 18, 2023

It would be a shame to deny Willow's devoted fans the opportunity to learn more about this world and these characters.

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Patricia

New Member

5 messages 0 likes

#4 Mar 18, 2023

I watched all three of the shows mentioned in this article because I enjoy fantasy television. And like the author, I found watching Willow to be the most enjoyable. It's unfortunate that Disney+ seems to be axing a significant number of original series. I'm hoping they change their minds and give Willow a second season. When news sources present contradictory information regarding the future of a cherished show, it can be frustrating. I really hope Jon Kasdan is right and Willow doesn't get canceled. I was happy to see the story continue on Disney+ as a fan of the first Willow movie. In the future, I hope the show will have the opportunity to continue its plot.

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ChainsawMadonna

Member

383 messages 9 likes

#5 Mar 18, 2023

Loving thatWillow was a lighthearted, fun show to watch that wasn't too serious. It was a refreshing change from the intense drama of other fantasy shows.It's a shame that Willow may not be renewed because it's clear that viewers enjoyed the show. I'm hoping Disney+ recognizes how important this show is and gives it the opportunity it deserves.I'm glad to hear that Lucasfilm is still behind Willow. That gives me hope that the show will return at some point. It's disappointing that Disney+ appears to be cutting back on original content. Hopefully, they understand how critical it is to invest in premium shows like Willow in order to ensure the success of their streaming service.

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Poncho

High Heat

83 messages 1 like

#6 Mar 18, 2023

Guys, I believe it is critical to have faith in the showrunner and take their word for it that the show will not be canceled. We should keep hoping and supporting the show in any way we can.When a show has already written a second season, it's always a good sign. Hopefully, this means that Willow will be able to continue its story in the future.
As a fan of the original Willow film, I was thrilled to see the story continue on television. I'm hoping that Disney+ will give the show another chance to tell its story.Willow clearly has a devoted fanbase, so it would be a shame not to give them the opportunity to see more of this world and these characters.

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Bersiong

I am here all at once

5 messages 0 likes

#7 Mar 18, 2023

The issue is that they waited too long to produce more Willow. I started watching this show, but I never got past the pilot episode. I'm not sure how I feel about it because I wasn't in the mood to watch anything at the time. But I do know that if they stayed true to the books published in the 1990s, you'd have a series without Madmartigan, and how would you have Willow without Madmartigan? And then they waited too long to continue it, and Val Kilmer is essentially out of commission, so even if they wanted to ignore the books and have Madmartigan, they couldn't because Val wasn't there. I still think its canceled, the show runner is just being delusional.

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toddj82

Active Member

194 messages 35 likes

#8 Mar 18, 2023

I have no clue who in their right mind decided it was a smart move to name a TV show after a Warwick Davis character, only to shove him to the sidelines in favor of some shallow teen drama garbage. Whoever is responsible for this colossal blunder needs to be shown the door immediately. They should be fired so hard that the word "incompetent" will forever be etched on their resume.

And while we're at it, can someone please explain to me why that red-headed nobody keeps getting cast in movies and shows that she has no business being in? It's an insult to talented actors and an absolute outrage that she's still getting work. If Lucas himself were around to see what's become of his precious "Lucasfilm" brand, he'd probably sue the pants off the person in charge of this mess. This once-great franchise has been turned into nothing more than a cheesy CW TV show, and it's all thanks to this person's complete incompetence. I don't know how they've managed to hold onto their job for so long, but they need to be kicked out ASAP before they do any more damage.

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