Disney+ Cancels Willow After One Season

By Jamie Jirak

Disney+'s Willow premiered at the end of last year, and the finale featured some big cliffhangers that had fans excited about the future. Many folks involved with the series have talked about plans for a second season, but Deadline is reporting that the show has officially been canceled by Disney+ and Lucasfilm. The news comes two months after the show's first season came to an end, and less than a week after Lucasfilm revealed they are being "very careful" about their Star Wars movie plans. 

"Well, there's always been a hope and a plan for more seasons," Ron Howard told The Hollywood Reporter back in January. "There's certainly more story to tell, but there's nothing concrete that I can comment on right now. From a creative standpoint, everybody is energized. Everybody loved working on Willow. It felt like it found its voice and its footing, so we're just standing by." 

In another recent interview with Radio Times, showrunner Jonathan Kasdan provided a promising update about Season 2, which had fans hopeful for a different outcome. He revealed that conversations with Lucasfilm and Disney+ about a second season of Willow were "going good" and that the team is "eager to do it."

Kasdan explained, "It's a strange and unpredictable time here in Hollywood. You see it all over the industry – there are shows that were well on their way to moving forward that haven't, shows that never expected to be in a second season that are – so you never know where you're going to be and you never know where the world is going to end up in a year or whatever." He added, "But I will tell you that these things take so long to get going and then to make that the attitude and the support from Lucasfilm has been: 'We definitely want to keep telling these stories, but we don't know what the future holds.'" 

Kasdan has yet to react to the cancellation news. 

What Was Willow the Series About?

You can read a description of Willow here: "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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The Willow series saw the return of Warwick Davis in the titular role and featured Ellie Bamber, Ruby Cruz, Erin Kellyman, Tony Revolori, Amar Chadha-Patel, Dempsey Bryk, Joanne Whalley, and Christian Slater. Willow faired well with critics, earning an 83% score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Are you bummed Disney+ canceled Willow? Tell us in the comments!

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