The first trailer and still images for the new show are available.
The 1988 film is one of my favorites. When I was a young boy, I loved the fantasy picture, but not everyone does, but I have watched it many times and still love it.
The film was directed by Ron Howard and written by Bob Dolman. Jonathan Kasdan is the son of Star Wars writer Lawrence Kasdan and Howard collaborated with him on the movie.
Though he is greyer and a bit more wrinkled than the rest of us, I think it makes his willow look more respectable and austere.
There is a person named willow.
In the trailer, we see a brand new cast of characters in a modernized version of the magical land of willow. Now, apparently, Sorsha is a queen of sorts. Sorsha was the daughter of the witch queen Bavmorda, and she and her new squeeze, Madmartigan, took on the role of parents to Elora Danan.
I don't know if either of those characters will actually be in the show. It seems odd that Elora Danan wasn't in the sequel series, but I think Madmartigan is dead.
An obvious choice for Elora would be the red-hairedErin Kellyman, who worked with Howard in the movie. I can't see any mention of Elora. The cast includes Tony Revolori, and others.
The trailer is here.
I think it looks great. The feel and spirit of the film is captured with a lot of computer-generated imagery. There is a colorful cast of characters and a good old fashioned swashbuckling adventure filled with magic.
"We must go into the unknown, that is where we must go." Huzzah!
There is a person named willow.
There are a couple things to point out.
We have a lot of adult fantasy. Games of thrones and The Witcher are grimdark books. A big-budget family fantasy is coming out soon. There are lots of Star Wars for families, but very little actual fantasy.
This is the first thing LucasFilm has done that isn't set in a galaxy far away. LucasFilm has been all about Star Wars for so long that you would be forgiven for thinking that the studio doesn't do anything else.
It's wonderful to see this take shape, I like willow just as much as Star Wars. I haven't played that game since I was a kid, and I wanted to spend more time in this world for most of my life.
I am sad that Madmartigan won't be on the show. Lucasfilm dropped the ball on all of these great stories by not releasing more of them sooner, when actors like Val Kilmer and Mark Hamill were younger and could reprise their roles in a more timely fashion. C'est la vie.
The show's official description reads:
An epic period fantasy series with a modern sensibility set in an enchanted land of breathtaking beauty features a diverse international cast with Jonathan Kasdan, Ron Howard, Wendy Mericle, Kathleen Kennedy, and more. The story began with a magician from a village and an infant girl who were destined to unite the realm and destroy an evil queen. 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.
On November 30th, 2022. I will be reviewing here on this website, so you can follow me!
If you haven't watched Reservation Dogs, you really need to. I won't explain the connection, other than to say it's really great.
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