Contrary to what the last decade might have indicated, The Walt Disney Company purchased all of Lucasfilm’s properties back in 2012, not just the Star Warsfranchise. While it’s no surprise that Disney has made the most of the galaxy far, far away, they’ve also tried to revive some of the other franchises created by George Lucas. The 1988 fantasy film Willowcertainly didn’t become a phenomenon in the same way that Star Wars and Indiana Jonesdid, but it did inspire a cult following for its interesting approach to high fantasy. The Willow sequel series produced by Disney was a labor of love that did a tremendous job at homaging the style of Ron Howard’s original while also adding new elements. While it’s unfortunate that some promising shows aren’t renewed, Disney+ added insult to injury when Willow was removedfrom the streaming platform altogether.
‘Willow’ Was Removed From Disney+ After Its Cancellation
Willow took the right approach to its continuation by adopting the “legacy sequel” approach that had been popularized by Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Warwick Davis’ titular character returned as the mentor to a new generation of heroes, similar to how Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) joined Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) on their adventure. Although Willow didn’t immediately have the same nostalgic power as Star Wars, the revival was in a good position to succeed based on the recent fantasy boom on television, thanks to shows like Game of Thrones and The Witcher. The cancellation certainly didn’t take into consideration that a Willow series would be as immediately popular as The Mandalorian or WandaVision, which already had a built-in audience based on the success of recent cinematic incarnations in their respective franchises. However, barring any future viewers from being able to stream Willow sets a dangerous precedent for the way that studios debut their intellectual property.
Although the streaming era should have theoretically opened the doors to more access to content than ever before, studios have become even more stringent in protecting their creative properties, which leads to situations in which they are taken out of circulation, like Willow was as a reportedly cost-cutting measure. There’s a legitimate argument to be had about whether Disney should make a film like Song of the South available, as the controversial musical is not available on physical media or on streaming. However, Willow was greenlit to debut on Disney+, and the filmmaking team worked on the project with the understanding that it would be available on one of the most popular streaming services out there.
The World of ‘Willow’ Explained: Everything You Need to Know Before the Disney+ Series
Ahead of the show’s November 30 premiere, refresh your memory on all things Willow.
Removing the content altogether isn’t just a sign that Disney isn’t considering the artists that it works with, but it has the capacity to essentially scrub any project from existence. Willow was never released on other streaming platforms or given a physical media release, meaning that anyone interested in watching it would have to track down a bootleg version. While hardcore fans of some properties will occasionally have to look hard to find obscure or out-of-circulation films or shows, they shouldn’t have to resort to unofficial means to find an expensive Disney project that was heavily marketed.
‘Willow’ Had the Potential To Improve With Future Seasons
What makes the entire situation even more disappointing is that Willow is a strong season of fantasy television that did its best to embody the style of the original film. Perhaps some viewers were expecting that Lucasfilm’s new fantasy series would be their answer to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power or House of the Dragon, but the original Willow was a lighthearted romp that was more inspired by fairy tales than epic worldbuilding. The Willow sequel series retained the wit and whimsy of Howard’s film and managed to explain some of the stranger concepts in the universe, which were admittedly fairly confusing to begin with. While the abundance of exposition within the first few episodes was to be expected for the first season of a very unique show, Willow definitely found the right pacing and tone by the end of its run, with the last episode in particular setting up a cliffhanger that will sadly never be resolved.
It’s worth remembering that not every show immediately announces itself as a winner, and it can take time for a series to become the best version of itself. Star Trek: The Next Generation infamously had a first season of television that was absolutely terrible, but later became recognized as one of the greatest works of science fiction ever made. Willow was unabashedly aimed at a younger audience and boasted truly charismatic performances from actors like Erin Kellyman and Ellie Bamber, who helped to subvert the typical “hero’s quest” that is often seen in fantasy stories. It’s also worth noting that Willow featured prominent LGBTQ representation, an aspect that may not have been featured in the same way when considering how Disney has dealt with other projects since. Whether Willow would have become a classic is anyone’s guess, but it’s disappointing that Disney has not taken advantage of Lucas’ broader portfolio, especially when the number of lesser Star Wars shows that have been made outnumbers the good. The Willow series was a thoughtful, fun adventure that fans of the original had waited decades to see, but even those with no interest in the show should be concerned about what its removal from Disney+ says about the future of streaming television.
