'Willow' Trailer Breakdown: The Magical Cult Classic Returns (2024)

Since Prime Video has The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Netflix has The Witcher, and HBO has House of the Dragon, it was only a matter of time before Disney+ entered the high fantasy streaming competition. This fall will see the debut of Willow, the long-anticipated sequel series to the 1988 film of the same name. Although the original Willow was met with a mixed response when it first debuted in theaters, there’s been a strong cult affinity for George Lucas’ fantasy adventure. Rumors about a potential follow-up have persisted for years.

The original Willow tells the story of the young farmer Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis), a “Nelwyn” villager and family man who learns to become a powerful wizard. The continuation reunites Willow with a new generation of heroes who ask for his assistance in another magical quest. Willow is Lucasfilm’s first non-Star Wars project under Disney, and the extended trailer that was revealed at D23 gave some insights on what fans can expect from the upcoming series.

The trailer opens with a voiceover that prophesies the return of a great force of evil. A mysterious cloud appears to be overtaking a city and sweeping through several villages. The original Willow ended with the defeat of the evil sorcerer Bavmorda (Jean Marsh), who rules the medieval land known as “Nockmaar.” Bavmorda is banished from the realm when Willow and his mentor Fin Razie (Patricia Hayes) use their combined magic to cast her out. While it doesn’t sound like Bavmorda is returning, it appears that another dark sorcerer has stepped in to replace her.

RELATED: New ‘Willow’ Images Spotlight Mystical Sequel Series

Familiar Friends and New Faces

One returning cast member that we did get the return of is Joanne Walley, who played Bavmorda’s daughter Sorsha in the first film. Bavmorda turns against her mother after she falls in love with the rogue hero Madmartigan (Val Kilmer); Kilmer was not able to reprise his role due to his struggles with throat cancer, but executive producer Jonathan Kasdan has said that Madmartigan’s story will still be incorporated in “a big way.” Sorsha and Madmartigan part ways with Willow, who returns to his home village at the end of the original film. It looks like this is the first time Sorsha and Willow are seeing each other since their first adventure. The D23 panel also announced that Christian Slater would be joining the series as a colleague of Madmartigan, and another potential ally in Willow’s quest.

We see a few shots of our cast of young heroes searching for Willow’s village. Among these new protagonists is Sorsha’s daughter Kit (Ruby Cruz), the aspiring knight Jade (Erin Kellyman), the kitchen maid Dove (Ellie Bamber), the thief-turned hero Boorman (Amar Chadha-Patel), and an unidentified character played by Tony Revolori. Willow notes that Kit reminds him of her mother. He appears a little grumpy to be disturbed and that makes sense, because Willow may not have used his magic for any heroic purposes since his original adventure. However, there aren’t many identified sorcerers in the Willow universe, so seeking out the Nelwyd farmer might be the only option that these heroes have.

Sorsha claims that she thought she could protect the world from the evil that is rising, and Kit mentions that her brother has been kidnapped. They need Willow’s magic to rescue him and restore peace. After hugging his family goodbye, Willow and his new friends travel through the woods to a mystical gate that he says is on the edge of their world. It’s not clear where this gate is located, but the scenes with Sorsha look like they take place in the Nockmaar castle that Sorsha and Madmartigan take control of.

We also get the return of the two “brownlings” Rool (Kevin Pollack) and Franjean (Rick Overton); in the first film, these two bickering spirits fulfill a similar role to R2-D2 and C-3PO in the Star Wars franchise. Willow tells his goofy friends that he needs their help on another adventure. It certainly sounds like they’ll need it, because the heroes are captured in woods after Boorman fails to negotiate their escape. Boorman is described as a former bandit who is forced to join their company, so it sounds like he’ll be filling the charismatic Madmartigan role in the new series.

Nods to the Original Film

The villains haven’t been identified yet, but there are several nods to the original film, including a magical black crow and a two-headed dragon. Willow says that their opponent is “rallying the forces of evil,” and the armor worn by a mysterious helmeted figure looks somewhat like the facemask worn by General Kael (Pat Roach) in the first film. It’s possible that a new dictator has taken over Nockmaar in place of Sorsha, but this “true enemy” may just be another evil sorcerer from a different area.

Tony Revolori’s character has a brief line when he talks about “playing at being a sorcerer” when he was a child. This would certainly indicate that Willow will have to train the art of magic to a new apprentice. During a montage of various action sequences, Willow is definitely holding his magic wand, but it looks like there may be multiple sorcerers dueling at once. Between sword fights, horse chases, trolls, and even a flamethrower, Willow doesn’t look like it’s skimping on any action.

Willow has a cult fan base for a reason, and unlike other fantasy films of the 1980s, the film isn’t trying to be overly subversive or particularly serious. Although the new series looks a bit darker, there’s also a good amount of humor in this new trailer. Hopefully, the series will be able to capture the same tone and launch a new generation of fans.