‘Willow’: Amer Chadha-Patel To Star In Disney+ Series

EXCLUSIVE: Amer Chadha-Patel (Doom: Annihilation) has landed a male lead opposite Ellie Bamber, Ruby Cruz and Erin Kellyman in Willow, Disney+ and Lucasfilm’s upcoming TV series follow-up to the 1988 fantasy movie, with the film’s star Warwick Davis reprising his title role, I have learned. Lucasfilm declined comment.

The new incarnation of Willow, which also stars Tony Revolori, comes from Jonathan Kasdan, who wrote the pilot and serves as co-showrunner alongside Wendy Mericle; the original film’s director Ron Howard and writer Bob Dolman; as well as Lucasfilm, which produced the movie. Jonathan Entwistle is directing.

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The Willow movie, written by Dolman from a story by George Lucas, starred Davis as a reluctant farmer who leads a ragtag crew on a quest to protect a special baby from a tyrannical queen who vows to destroy her. The series takes place years after the events of the film. It introduces all-new characters to the enchanted realm of fairy queens and two-headed Eborsisk monsters, and welcomes back its hero Willow Ufgood (Davis).

No additional details about the series’ storyline have been released. According to circulated casting information for the series, it revolves around a group on a mission to save a kidnapped prince. The members of the team include Dove (Bamber), an unassuming kitchen maid who proves she is the “chosen one” as she embarks on the journey. She is joined by Kit (Cruz), the princess whose twin brother was abducted. Kit is destined to be a leader and ultimately the queen. Kellyman plays Jade, a servant who is Kit’s best friend and moral compass.

Chadha-Patel will play the fourth member of the group, Boorman, who echoes Val Kilmer’s character in the movie. Boorman is a thief and liar who joins the quest in exchange for getting out of prison.

Executive producing the series are Kasdan, Mericle, Howard and Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy and Michelle Rejwan. Dolman is a consulting producer. Roopesh Parekh and Hannah Friedman are co-executive producers; Julia Cooperman is a producer.

Willow is slated to film in Wales, where much of the original film was shot. British actor Chadha-Patel played Osama Bin Laden in the 2016 film Army Of One. His TV series credits include Beecham House, Year of the Rabbit and The Third Day.

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