“Willow” Trailer Reveals Disney+’s Epic Fantasy Series
The trailer for Willow is extremely promising, both for us (ahem, older) fans of the original 1988 film, and for newcomers to the fantasy epic.
The trailer begins with some stage setting. A voiceover tells us “There is a story of a child destined to be an empress and the unlikely hero who would protect her.” That unlikely hero, as fans of Ron Howard’s original film know, is a farmer named Willow (Warwick Davis), who spent the feature film trying to protect that baby empress from the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh). Howard’s film was a major event for a generation of youngsters in the 80s, with a cast that included Val Kilmer as the mercenary Madmartigan, who helped Willow on his quest.
The trailer returns the heroic Willow to the forefront, but now, the action will be led by a princess, Kit (Ruby Cruz), assembling a group to go on a quest to rescue her twin brother. Joining Davis in the cast are Tony Revolori, Amer Chadha-Patel, Ellie Bamber, Ruby Cruz, Erin Kellyman, and, crucially, Talisa Garcia, the first trans actor ever cast by Lucasfilm for one of its productions.
Willow takes place a whopping 200 years after the events of the film, and unlike the original, the series boasts the cutting-edge technology that’s made The Mandalorian and other Disney+ series so ravishing.
Check out the trailer below. Willow premieres on Disney+ on November 30.
Here’s the official synopsis for Willow:
An epic period fantasy series with a modern sensibility set in an enchanted land of breathtaking beauty, “Willow” features a diverse international cast with Jonathan Kasdan, Ron Howard, Wendy Mericle, Kathleen Kennedy, and Michelle Rejwan serving as executive producers. The story began with an aspiring magician from a Nelwyn village and an infant girl destined to unite the realms, who together helped destroy an evil queen and banish the forces of darkness. Now, in a magical world where brownies, sorcerers, trolls, and other mystical creatures flourish, the adventure continues, as an unlikely group of heroes set off on a dangerous quest to places far beyond their home, where they must face their inner demons and come together to save their world.
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Featured image: Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) in Lucasfilm’s WILLOW exclusively on Disney+. ©2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
