Willow: Ron Howard Addresses Season 2 Plans

Now that the first season of Willow has come to an end, fans of the Disney+ show are eager to find out if it will be getting a second season. Showrunner Jonathan Kasdan recently addressed the finale’s cliffhangers and revealed that he’s “begging” Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy to let them continue. The new show was executive produced by Ron Howard who helmed the original Willow film back in 1988. Recently, Howard revealed that he wants to direct an episode of the potential second season, and offered an update about the show’s renewal while talking to The Hollywood Reporter. 

“Well, there’s always been a hope and a plan for more seasons,” Howard explained. “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.” 

What Did Ron Howard Learn From Willow?

While talking to THR, Howard was asked about Willow being his sixth film, and the director shared what he took away from the experience.

“It was a really important building block for me,” Howard explained. “It also really deepened my friendship and relationship with George Lucas. It was two-and-a-half years. He was my director on American Graffiti, so I stayed in touch with him and he was a very helpful mentor as I evolved into a filmmaker. But here I was really working with him. This was his vision, and I was trying to realize it as best I could. He was encouraging me to engage as well, and that’s where a lot of the humor and the tone of the relationships comes from. Of course, Bob Dolman contributed a lot, too.”

He continued, “I often say that I came into it as an experienced filmmaker. My post-grad work was done, but Willow was the PhD, because this was big-screen cinema. I really used the canvas in a fuller, richer way, and I learned a lot from George, not just about visual effects, but composition, editing rhythms and narrative. He’s such a student of classical narratives.”

The first season of Willow is streaming on Disney+.