How Warwick Davis and Willow costars handled pressure of making TV series: It 'kept us on our game'
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It's been more than three decades since Ron Howard's Willow hit theaters, first introducing fans to Warwick Davis' heroic farmer-turned-sorcerer. Now, Willow Ufgood is returning to the screen, with a new TV series hitting Disney+ later this year.
Series co-creator Jonathan Kasdan opened up about his lifelong love of the film when EW sat down with the Willow team this summer at Star Wars Celebration, which you can hear on the latest episode of EW's Dagobah Dispatch podcast (and see in the video above). The writer explained that while working with Howard on 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story, he found himself once again wondering about the world of Willow, and he soon pitched Howard on a potential follow-up series, continuing George Lucas' original story from the film.
"I thought that of all of George Lucas' creations, this one most lent itself to a sequel," Kasdan explains. "Warwick is saddled with this little baby the whole movie, and I just wanted to know what happened to that baby and what was going to become of the world in which she grew up… I just thought everything about it lent itself to more stories in that world, and I was the first one to raise my hand when the possibility came up."
Lucasfilm Ltd. Warwick Davis in the 'Willow' Disney+ TV series
The new series will premiere on Disney+ on Nov. 30, and Davis is back as the titular sorcerer, along with original costar Joanne Whalley as Sorsha. Davis was still a teenager when he starred in the original Willow, and he calls it a "privilege" to return, especially given the film's growing cult status.
"Making the series really put the pressure on because you've got a huge responsibility to make it the very best it can be for all those people who have supported it and are passionate about it," Davis explains. "You don't want to let them down because they'll soon tell you. So, that kept us on our game."
Whalley added that she was originally "apprehensive" about returning for the new TV series, worrying, "What if it's rubbish?" But once she read the initial scripts, she found herself drawn back into Willow's rich fantasy world. "What I think is really well done about [the TV show] is that it manages to transition what was happening with the film and bring it forward," she says. "It brings everything along with it into a new time and a new place, but you don't feel like there's a big jump cut or anything. It feels very organic."
Kasdan and the cast also caution that the new Willow TV series isn't a reboot but a direct sequel, following Willow and Sorsha decades after the events of the film. There are new cast members, too: Ruby Cruz plays Sorsha's daughter Kit, while Ellie Bamber costars as kitchen maid Dove. Solo actress Erin Kellyman is also on board as an aspiring knight named Jade. Together, they gather an unlikely crew of adventurers, who set out to rescue Kit's missing twin brother.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images 'Willow' TV stars Erin Kellyman, Ruby Cruz, Warwick Davis, Joanne Whalley, and Ellie Bamber at Star Wars Celebration
In addition to the new cast members, Davis also revealed that the set of Willow was a family affair: His daughter Annabelle is playing Willow's on-screen daughter, while his son Harrison worked as his stunt double on set.
"Obviously, being Cast Member No. 1, they didn't want to damage me," Davis says with a laugh. "So they said, 'Who do you want as a double?' I said, 'Well, actually, my 18-year-old son is exactly the same height as I am.' Same build, walks the same as I do. So, he's the perfect double. He took all my knocks for me."
"It was like having two Willows around all the time," Kasdan adds.
Listen to the full interview with Warwick Davis and the Willow cast on EW's new Star Wars podcast, Dagobah Dispatch.
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