New reports suggest Lucasfilm have officially started filming the Disney+ sequel series to 1988’s fantasy classic Willow in Wales. Originally conceived by Star Wars creator George Lucas in 1972, he approached director Ron Howard to work on the film while Howard was wrapping up post-production on 1985’s Cocoon. Screenwriter Jon Kasdan, who co-wrote Solo: A Star Wars Story with his father Lawrence Kasdan, pitched Howard and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy a concept for the series while filming on the Star Wars spin-off was underway, and the series was officially greenlit in October 2020.
Now a new report from Making Star Wars suggests that principal photography has gotten underway in Bridgend, Wales. While it is not yet clear, this may hint at a potential return to a familiar location, as many scenes for the original film were filmed in the Welsh Dinorwic quarry. The report also suggests that Willow Ufgood, Warwick Davis, has been spotted on set almost the entire time.
As for the series’ plot, it is unclear whether this new show will simply serve as a new direct sequel to the original film, or if it will also pay heed to the events presented in the Chronicles of the Shadow War books which were outlined by Lucas himself. Set 15 years after the events of the first film, the trilogy of novels were penned by The Uncanny X-Men’s Chris Claremont and followed a teenaged Elora Danan, the child princess protected by Willow in the original film. If so, fans should not expect to see a return of Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan, as his character and Sorsha were both killed off early in the first book Shadow Moon. Either way, fans of Willow will be keen to see what the series has in store for Davis’ Nelwyn sorcerer.
Source: Making Star Wars