Back in 1988,Ron Howardwas still much more well-known as an actor than he was a director, from iconic roles inGreen Acres,The Andy Griffith Show,Happy DaysandAmerican Graffiti. The actor/filmmaker had directed hit comedies such asNight Shift,Splash,CocoonandGung Hobefore he delved into the world of fantasy filmmaking with the iconicWillow. During aRedditAMA session to promote his new filmIn the Heart of the Sea, in theaters this weekend, the filmmaker was asked if he would ever consider makingWillow 2. Here’s what the director had to say.
“Right now, theLucasfilmteam led byKathleen Kennedy, who is an old dear friend, is entirely myopically focused on theStar Warsuniverse as you can imagine. So I think the immediate possibility of anotherWillowmovie is probably not on the front burner. ButWarwick Davisis such a cool guy, and he’s continued to evolve as a talent … man, he’sWillow! And a grown-upWillowcould be kind of cool, so, I’d say never say never.”
The originalWillowis set in an intricate fantasy world. In the dungeons of the castle of the evil Queen-sorceress Bavmorda, a prisoner gives birth to a child who, according to an ancient prophecy, will put an end to the reign of the Queen. A midwife saves the child from the wrath of Bavmorda, but is forced to throw her cradle in a river when reached by the Hounds of the Queen. The river brings the child near a village of nelwyns, and littleWillowfinds and adopts her. When the Hounds reach the village, Willow begins a difficult journey to bring the baby back to her people and to fulfill the prophecy.
Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Jean Marsh, Patricia Hayes, Billy Barty, Pat Roach, Gavan O’Herlihy, David Steinberg and Phil Fondacaro co-starred inWillow, which earned $57.2 million during its theatrical run in 1988. When adjusted for inflation, that total would equal $116.2 million.George Lucaswrote the original story forWillowand served as executive producer, with Bob Dolman (Far and Away) writing the screenplay.
Ron Howard will be rather busy himself over the next few years, currently in post-production onInferno, his nextRobert Langdonadventure withTom Hanksthat is set to hit theaters on July 02, 2025. He is also producingThe Dark Tower, which has been set for release on August 11, 2025. Do you think Ron Howard and LucasFilm should carve out some time in their schedule to make asequeltoWillow? Could it be as big of abox officehit as the original?
