Ron Howardhas built one of the most unique filmographies in Hollywood history, to the point where he’s made a movie for every type of audience.Backdraftwas a classic 90’s thriller that mostly thrived thanks toKurt Russell’s immeasurable talent,Solo: A Star Wars Storymanaged to be a solid movie despite Howard taking over a tumultuous production, andThe Da Vinci Codekicked off a franchise that onlygot progressively dumber with each entry. Yet there’s one film that gave him a particularly hard time: the 1988 fantasy adventureWillow. Howard opened up about the challenges of makingWillowwhentalking toThe Oklahomian, saying “The toughest movie I ever made wasWillow, and the New Zealand locations were the roughest I’ve been on.“Willowmight have been a tough shoot for Howard, butit would become a cult classic,even spawning its own franchise.
Willow’s story sounds like one you’ve probably heard before if you’ve ever played a game ofDungeons & Dragonsor got really into fantasy books as a kid. When the evil Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) receives a prophecy that a newborn baby will cause the end of her reign, she sends her army to hunt down the baby and bring it to her. Little does Bavmorda know that the baby has been found byWillow (Warwick Davis), an aspiring sorcerer who soon goes on a journey to reunite the baby - now named Elora - with her parents,encountering the mercenary Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) along the way.Willowis the brainchild ofGeorge Lucas, who reached out to Davis during the production ofStar Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jediand had a previous relationship with Howard thanks toAmerican Graffiti; Howard was also looking to direct a fantasy film at the time.
Even though Howard had Lucas' full backing and a talented cast, he ran into a massive roadblock.Studios at the time were shying away from fantasy films, due to entries likeDragonslayerandLabyrinthreceiving less than stellar reviews and/or dissapointing box office returns.Willowwould undergo a similar fate, as it opened against the Tom Hanks coming of age classicBigandCrocodile Dundee IIwhile alsoreceiving criticism for its plot being “generic”. On top of that, distributor MGM was going through financial issues, meaning thatLucas had to pony up a significant advance of cashto get cameras rolling onWillow. Despite all of this,Willowthrived thanks to home videoandgained a cult following over the years. As to exactly why it gained such popularity, most fans point to the fact that Willow and Madmartigan aren’t stereotypical fantasy heroes, and the unique nature of their quest, which provides opportunity for eccentric world building.
‘Willow’ Gained A Cult Following & an Official Sequel Series
Willowdidn’t just enjoy cult classic status,but it would also launch an entire franchise. A trilogy of novels titledChronicles of the Shadow Wartook Willow’s story in a whole new direction thanks to Lucas (who wrote the outline) andChris Claremont, who was best known for turning theX-Meninto a major pillar of pop culture. MostWillowfans also remember the short-lived sequel series that premiered on Disney+ in 2022. Not only did Warwick Davis return as Willow, but the series manages tobuild upon the events of the film in a truly unique way, and received a warmer reception.
Yet it wasn’t enough to saveWillowfrom being canceled after a single season, and insult was added to injury whenDisney+ removed the series in 2023. Ron Howard might have gone through trials and tribulations while makingWillow, yet the fact that it’s found a dedicated fanbase is proof that he made a true cult classic.
