Credit: LucasfilmDespite the great content that Disney+ has been hosting on its platform, not every show is a hit. Let’s face it; not every show can be as successful as The Mandalorian. That appears to be the case for the Willow reboot/sequel series.
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That hugely popular Star Wars show might be the benchmark for other properties on the Disney+ platform, as it has been gaining numbers since it arrived in 2019. Despite being initially released in 1977, the franchise has grown to massive heights.
That is not the case for Willow, as Deadline has revealed that Disney+ is moving on from the fantasy series. The eight-episode series served as a direct sequel to the hit movie that was released in 1988. Though it remains an integral part of the Lucasfilm library, it was not big enough of a draw for audiences.
Willow is a hit amongst critics, as it currently holds an 83% critic approval rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes. However, the show’s 66% audience rating might be one of the biggest reasons why the show will not be moving forward on Disney.
It might have been too long since the story took place, and Willow only had the initial movie. Though it has since gained a cult following, the newer streamers likely did not care to return to a series based on a film from the 1980s.
It is truly a shame that it’s ending, though, as Val Kilmer starred in the movie as Madmartigan alongside Warwick Davis’s Willow. The pair never got to reunite, as Kilmer has been dealing with the effects of throat cancer, which has left him unable to speak.
Warwick Davis was able to revisit his Willow Ufgood character, though it was short-lived. That is something that has got to feel special if a silver lining can even be found right now. Disney+ might have also ended the series, but that doesn’t mean it cannot find life with another company.
That would mean that Lucasfilm would have to sell the rights to the property to another streamer to make another season, which might also not happen. Willow has always been an essential part of the Lucasfilm library, and the story might have to be put on hold while the company deals with its reshuffling of Star Wars content.
Related: ‘Willow’ Just Made Lucasfilm History
The Skeleton Crew, The Mandalorian, and Ahsoka are all part of the Lucasfilm release schedule for 2023, with The Mandalorian already starting. Lucasfilm might not have enough time to keep up with that and produce Willow.
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