Movies

Ron Howard Says A 'Willow' Sequel Could Still Happen [Updated]

Willow Sequel
By Chris Evangelista

Ron Howard is out there promoting Solo: A Star Wars Story, but he's also thinking about another potential special effects-filled blockbuster: Willow 2. After 30 years, Howard says a Willow sequel is now being discussed.Update: Ron Howard has confirmed once again, this time on Twitter, that a Willow sequel is a real possibility.

The original story continues below, and be sure to check out Dalin Rowell's look at the first movie 30 years after its release.

In 1988, Ron Howard and George Lucas released Willow, a Lord of the Rings-esque fantasy epic full of ILM special effects and scenes of Val Kilmer hamming it up big time. While not a flop, it wasn't the blockbuster Lucas and company had been hoping for, and a sequel never materialized. But never say never. Because now, 30 years later, a Willow sequel might become a reality. In a new interview with Comic Book, Ron Howard says there has been "a little talk" about a Willow sequel:

"I don't want to give away too much, but there is a little talk of Willow...We wouldn't call it Willow 2, I think it would focus a lot on Elora Danan, although Willow would have to be significantly involved."

In Willow, Elora Danan is an infant who is prophesied to bring about the end of the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda. The baby is rescued by Willow (Warwick Davis), who then must protect the child from danger with the help of mercenary Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) and warrior Sorsha (Joanne Whalley). Based on Howard's comment, the potential Willow sequel would focus on a grown-up Elora Danan. Howard also added:

"I thought about that movie a lot as I was working on Solo because there are certain scenes, especially around some of the Madmartigan stuff, was reminiscent of a character with that kind of swagger and bravado. And also some of the humor around some of the action in Willow was something I inspired [sic] to get into Solo."

Like many Ron Howard movies, Willow is entertaining, but not exactly great. I think nostalgia has gone a long way in cementing Willow's place in movie history – it's the type of easy-going adventure film many people discovered on VHS. The film also may have been ahead of its time – it came out before Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy made fantasy epics a hot commodity again. Perhaps the time is now right to return to the world of the film, and update it for a whole new generation.

There have been rumblings of a potential Willow follow-up for a while now. In 2005, George Lucas and Warwick Davis both said that a potential Willow television series was being considered. The series would have served as a sequel to the film. Since then, Davis has gone on record several times saying he had hopes for a sequel. Perhaps now it will finally happen.

Recommended