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| The time for heroes has returned, in the all-new Willow TV series. Image: Disney+ |
Thirty-four years on from his enthusiastic and spirited playing of the role that established his acting career beyond being a beloved Ewok in Return of the Jedi, versatile all-round nice guy Warwick Davis returns to the role of the diminutive hero with lots of courageous heart and enthusiasm, Willow Ufgood, for an all-new eight-episode fantasy adventure continuance based on George Lucas and Ron Howard's 1988 sword and sorcery fusion cult hit Willow, airing exclusively on Disney+ from today (30th November, 2022).
Talented writer/producer Jon Kasdan, son of the legendary Hollywood icon Lawrence Kasdan, takes the reins of this new franchise with both confidence and a clear passion for the project, which has been several years in the making. Taking a leaf out of the The Force Awakens storytelling motifs, the new Willow series brings together characters old (not just the now more enlightened Willow (certainly the Yoda of his universe) but also the fun return of Joanne Whalley as warrior now queen Sorsha) with many diverse new unlikely hero characters (from international casting backgrounds) as they take on an ominous dark force threatening the lands of the force field barrier protective realms beyond Tir Asleen and the realm of Andowyne (once again brought to the life within the gorgeous scenery of Wales). As such evil builds, led by some grotesque new monsters, Willow's powers for good are needed more than ever. But what happened to that scoundrel swordsman Madmartigen (originally played with such charisma and zest in the film by Val Kilmer)? And what is the destiny of the once enchanted, prophecy-given child Elora Danan, whose identity has been kept such a closely guarded secret across the years?
Willow’s World: Nature & Place • Lucasfilm
Disney+ was kind enough to invite Star Wars Aficionado to a preview of the series opening episodes in London a few weeks back. So what did we think? Well, with a first episode weighed down somewhat from re-establishing the past events of the 1988 movie whilst also stetting a new tone for the ongoing series (best described as a family friendly Lord of the Rings in scale mixed with the kind of light and flippant humour enjoyed by another cult classic, The Princess Bride), alongside necessary exposition and the need to bring in the many new characters, it's really from the second episode that Willow Mark II gets a chance to properly breathe and start hitting its potential groove (and watch out for a notable scene-stealing appearance from Warwick Davis's acting daughter, Annabelle, who gives a genuinely heartfelt performance as Willow's concerned daughter), with even darker apocalyptic dangers to be faced...
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| Warwick Davis with the main Willow series cast and production team in London - November 16th, 2022. Image: Disney+ |
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as the saying goes, and I think modern audiences will greatly enjoy this special comeback kid of a franchise, the assured return of Davis as Willow, and the series overall potential fantasy adventures to come...
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| New episodes every Wednesday. |
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