It has only taken 30 years, but Ron Howard says that there are finally talks ofWillow 2now that the director has finishedSolo: A Star Wars Story. The first Willow movie, directed by Howard, came out in 1988 and was not the smash hit that Lucasfilm had been hoping for. However, it has gained a massive cult audience since its release and many fans aren’t even aware that it wasn’t a huge moneymaker. While Ron Howard has spoken about a possibleWillow 2for years, it seems closer to actually happening this time around.
In a new interview promotingSolo, Ron Howard was asked about the possibility of a sequel toWillowsince he was back working for Lucasfilm. Not only did the director reveal that the sequel is being discussed, but he also said that the first movie influencedSoloas well. Apparently, it would not be a direct sequel to Willow and instead would fall into the spin-off category. He had this to say.
“I don’t want to give away too much, but there is a little talk of Willow. We wouldn’t call itWillow 2, I think it would focus a lot on Elora Danan, although Willow would have to be significantly involved.”
It seems thatRon Howardreturning to Lucasfilm was a pleasant experience for both parties, which is more than likely why talks ofWillow 2have been sparked again.Warwick Davis, who starred as the titular character, has pretty much never stopped working with Lucasfilm and has bit parts in many of theStar Warsmovies. Davis is best-known for portraying the Wicket the Ewok inReturn of the Jediand even has a part inSolo. So, a possible return of Warwick Davis forWillow 2seems inevitable at this point in time.
As for how the first Willow influencedSolo: A Star Wars Story, Ron Howard states that he thought of the movie a lot while crafting the latestStar Warsspin-off. Specifically, he brings up Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan, revealing that a character inSolohas some of the same attributes. Howard did not reveal the character that he was referring to. He explains.
“I thought about that movie a lot as I was working onSolobecause there are certain scenes, especially around some of the Madmartigan stuff, was reminiscent of a character with that kind of swagger and bravado. And also some of the humor around some of the action in Willow was something I inspired to get intoSolo.”
While nothing has been officially confirmed, it looks thatWillow 2 is closer to happening now than ever before. There are so many possibilities to where the story could go as well as a few different options as to how it could be released. Lucasfilm could decide to make a series out ofWillow 2for Disney’s upcoming streaming platform, much like YouTube Red pulled off withThe Karate Kidsequel,Cobra Kai. While we wait for some more news about the possibility of aWillow 2, you may read the original interview with Ron Howard atComicBook.
