Pop Culture | Movies | 80s

Director Of 'Willow' Reveals What He Has Planned For The Sequel 30 Years Later

Before there was Game of Thrones or Harry Potter, fantasy didn't seem to be as popular, but there were always a few movies that caught our interest as kids.

The David Bowie classic Labyrinth was a wild ride, but we all loved it. Neverending Story was also pretty amazing even though it made all of us cry a lot.

But one movie that really stuck out as special and wonderful was the epic story of Willow. Starring the wonderful Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer, and Joanne Whalley, this George Lucas classic may not be as popular as his Star Wars movies but honestly, it's just as amazing.

Willow
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The movie was moderately successful in its initial run, but it has managed to gain a cult following over the last 30 years, and now its finally getting a chance to come back.

The movie's original director actually spoke about it recently, saying that he's got some ideas for a sequel, and honestly, it's got us all a little excited.

It's not the first time that he's hinted at it either. There have been rumors about a Willow remake for a while now, and the stars themselves have actually talked about what they thought about it.

Warwick Davis has some concerns

Willow
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He's a little hesitant about it, but only if it's not done right.

"I think it's probably best left alone. But I don't think a sequel would be out of the question. Val Kilmer and I, we’ve talked about it, we’ve actually talked about it quite a bit.

"He would very much like to do it as well. It’s about, is there more story, and I think there is. Did Willow become a sorcerer? He was fairly good at it but he wasn’t brilliant.

"And what became of Elora Danan when she grew up? There are few question marks that remain, and the world has been created, we have the characters, we know the environment, all of that is fabulous. To revisit, I’d enjoy it immensely.”

Willow
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He was worried that they would try to remake the original instead of continuing the story, and thought that a reimagining wasn't the best option.

"They often look back at work they’ve done and like to reimagine it, and they’ve been very successful... So [maybe] a reimagining, but I think a sequel would be much better — because otherwise I wouldn’t be able to play Willow!"

This is what he thinks should happen

Willow
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He does have an idea of what he thought would be an interesting story, which he shared long before we got this new information from Ron Howard, but honestly it seems like they had been discussing it a bit.

"It would focus on Elora Danan and how’s she’s ruling the kingdom at that point. Bavmorda probably would have found some way to get back from the nether world and would start to wreak havoc on the land once again in a much more powerful way.

"Willow, I don’t think he would be an accomplished sorcerer at this stage, but during the course of the story I think he would become much better.

"Madmartigan — I’m not sure what Val would be up to. Probably, the fact that he dressed as a woman in the first film, I think he becomes quite fond of doing that and spends most of the time dressed as a woman in this one.

"There you have it. If Disney’s reading this then I’m sure they’ll want to write that script straight away."

But now Ron Howard has revealed what the plan actually is for the sequel

Willow
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The director confirmed that he is in talks to continue the story he started 30 years ago. That's right, a sequel not a remake - just like Davis wanted!

But it's not going to be called Willow 2. He revealed a little bit of details when talking to ComicBook.com.

"I don't want to give away too much, but there is a little talk of Willow. We wouldn't call it Willow 2, I think it would focus a lot on Elora Danan, although Willow would have to be significantly involved."

Willow
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Howard credits the 80s classic as helping him learn a lot about character and humor.

"I thought about that movie a lot as I was working on Solo because there are certain scenes, especially around some of the Madmartigan stuff, was reminiscent of a character with that kind of swagger and bravado. And also some of the humor around some of the action in Willow was something I inspired to get into Solo."

What is the actual likelihood of this happening?

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Well, now that Disney owns Lucasfilm, they technically would have the rights to the property. They've obviously had a huge amount of success with their new Star Wars movies, so I wouldn't put it past them to try out Willow again.

As for Howard, he just finished up the latest Star Wars movie Solo: A Star Wars Story so he's obviously got a good working relationship with the gigantic company.

While the movie was kind of a cult classic, the numbers weren't really the best. They would however, have the nostalgia advantage on their side.

It seems like everything that gets made now is a throwback to something we loved as a kid, so really it's a solid option right?

Willow
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Fantasy is kind of seeing a big boost in visibility lately, largely in part to the success of Game of Thrones. Fantasy isn't just for the "geeks" anymore like people used to think it was (they were wrong), now everyone seems to like it. Maybe the market is finally ready to embrace this amazing story!

I'm sure we'll keep hearing about the potential of a Willow sequel for a while, but if it does happen, let's hope everyone comes back!

Would you rather see a sequel to 'Willow' or a complete remake?

The rumors have been circling for almost a year now, but it's nice to know they haven't completely given up!

It was always nice to actually get to see Warwick Davis's face in this movie because in a lot of his other roles he is so heavily costumed or covered in makeup that he's unrecognizable. Seriously, you probably didn't even realize he's in half of your favorite movies.

Source - ComicBook