The next chapter of in the book of Willow will not be written as Disney+ announced the series is cancelled.
The Lucasfilm series, a sequel to the 1988 movie of the same title only survived a single season. The news comes two months after the eight-episode season concluded its run.
While Disney+ doesn’t provide viewing data for its programming, Willow didn’t break into the Nielsen top 10 rankings of streaming titles during its run, despite the series earning mostly positive reviews from critics.
The cancellation comes during a transition period for both Lucasfilm, which is reconsidering the frequency of its signature Star Wars franchise, and Disney’s streaming operations. Like other companies, Disney is pulling back some on its expensive streaming content; Willow’s cancellation at Disney+ follows the ends of Big Shot and The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers in February.
In the Willow series, the world of Andowyne is threatened once again when evil forces descend on Queen Sorsha’s (reprised by Joanne Whaley) Kingdom of Tir Asleen, and kidnap one of her children, Prince Airk (Dempsey Bryk). Prince Airk’s sister, Princess Kit (Ruby Cruz), embarks on a perilous quest to save her brother with an unlikely fellowship of heroes – played by Ellie Bamber, Erin Kellyman, Tony Revolori, and Amar Chada-Patel – but they cannot succeed alone.
With a full-scale epic series like Willow featuring stunning locations and state-of-the-art special effects, the action and mythology does not overwhelm the characters and their relationships. Instead, you are invested in the human dilemma at the center of the story. In episode 4, come with a cheap price tag.
Jonathan Kasdan, who penned the pilot episode, and Wendy Mericle served as co-showrunners on Willow. They executive produce with Howard, the film’s writer Bob Dolman (who penned the screenplay with George Lucas), Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy and Michelle Rejwan.
