Willow Not Canceled After All, Second Season Has Been Written

The adventures of Willow will continue, apparently. Despite the news that the Disney+ sequel series has been canceled, Willow showrunner Jon Kasdan has now released a (very) detailed statement and declares that he and his team have “developed and written what we hope is a brain-meltingly fun, richer, darker and better VOLUME II.” Check out what Kasdan has to say below.

Thanking Willow fans for their “outpouring of kind words, support and passion,” Kasdan reveals the more complicated issues that led to reports stating that the Disney+ series has been canceled. “A decision was made last week to release our main cast for other series opportunities that may arise for them in the coming year,” he said. “With all the TV and movies in production around the world, it feels unfair to limit an actor’s availability without a clear sense of when you’re going to need them again. It’s further triviliased by the simple reality that the scripts we’ve been working on require just as many actors with whom no such contractual hold exists.”

But, rather another straight-up cancelation, Kasdan explains that the reason the actors involved in the series have been released from their contracts is due to the production and development of streaming shows “slowing down across the entire industry” meaning that the second season of Willow “won’t resume filming in the next 12 months.”

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Jon Kasdan Calls Willow Season 2 Richer, Darker & Better

Along with the lengthy, and much appreciated, explanation, Kasdan also reveals details for what he has planned for Willow Season 2. “But here’s what’s equally true: with the enthusiastic and unwavering support of Lucasfilm, and Disney, we’ve developed and written what we hope is a brain-meltingly fun, richer, darker and better VOLUME II, which builds on the characters and story of our first eight chapters (The Wyrm survives!)” he reveals.

“VOLUME II is all about courage, desire, acceptance and the comedy and beauty to be found in even the darkest places and moments,” he continues. “It’s about enemies we must inevitably confront, both without and, often far more insidiously, from within. But above all, it’s about the ineffable and enduring magic of friendship.”

Signing off with “ignore the bird, follow the river, I promise it’ll take you where you need to go,” Kasdan sounds as determined as ever to bring Willow Season 2 to screens sometime down the line.

The first (and so far, only) season of Willow continues the story first told way, way back in 1988. Picking up more than 20 years since Queen Bavmorda was defeated, Willow Season 1 follows an unlikely group of six heroes as they 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 from the Gales.

Starring Warwick Davis as Willow alongside Ruby Cruz (Mare of Easttown), Erin Kellyman (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Solo: A Star Wars Story), Ellie Bamber (The Serpent, Les Misérables), Tony Revolori (Spider-Man: No Way Home), Amar Chadha-Patel (The Wheel of Time), Dempsey Bryk (The Silence) as Airk, and Joanne Whalley (Willow), Willow Season 1 was released on Disney+ in November and was met with favorable reviews from critics, but a far more mixed response from audiences.

The first season of Willow is available to stream now on Disney+.