How ‘Willow’ is changing the rules of fantasy with her new generation of heroes and heroines

The 80’s were a very special time for fantasy in cinema and ‘Willow’ is one of the greatest representatives of the genre. In the midst of a wave of nostalgic returns and sequels, Lucasilm saved the property for a continuation 34 years later in the form of a sequel series for Disney+. This revival features the return of Warwick Davis, but at the same time adapts to the times with a new generation of heroes and heroines who bring a modern twist to the magical medieval world we learned in Ron Howard’s film.

The series, created and written by Jonathan Kasdan, centers on a group of teenagers who join Willow Ufgood on a perilous journey to save the world from the darkness that once again threatens it. The young cast of the series weren’t even born when the original film was releasedwhich for them meant an entry point into 80s fantasy, so influential and beloved by the generation to which Kasdan and most ‘Willow’ fans belong.

“None of us had seen ‘Willow’ before joining the project”recognizes Ruby Cruz, referring to her and Dempsey Bryk, who play Kit and Airk, the sons of Madmartigan (the scoundrel played by Val Kilmer in the film). “Now we know him very well, we love him and we adore him, of course. It’s a very special film”. Ellie Bamber, who brings Dove to life, went through a similar process. “I had never seen it before and when I discovered the series, I saw the film and I completely fell in love with it. It has a unique and individual tone and is very funny”says the young British actress. The exception is Tony Revolori, Graydon in the series: “I saw this as a kid and loved it. When the opportunity came to me to participate in this, I didn’t even think about it”.

For Bryk, what makes the fantasy genre so special, and ‘Willow’ in particular, is this “It does something that isn’t done very often these days, which is offer something for all demographics, parents, kids, teens… Nowadays, things are for a younger generation or an older generation. old, and they don’t mix often, but ‘Willow’ does, and 80s fantasy in general. With this “Willow” we try not to curb any of our creative impulses and to stay true to it.”.

For those who grew up experiencing Willow Ufgood’s adventures over and over again, the series is full of nods, throwbacks, and direct links to the George Lucas-produced film, though it mostly focuses on the new characters. The good thing is that “they are all three dimensional and not limited to classical archetypes, they all have individual contradictions”, as Bryk also points out. In relation to his character and the duality that the new heroes of ‘Willow’ have, Cruz adds this “Kit defines herself by challenging and rejecting the expectations placed on her, but at the same time she expects something very specific from life, who she is and what she needs to be in order to be successful and find herself. She continues to encounter hard truths and It was great for me to explore what I was learning with every life lesson I could find, as I was tackling my own”.

This group of heroes, who look to Willow for mentor and guide in their adventure, are characterized by being composed of characters who are multi-layered and change throughout the series, defying what is expected of them; in many cases, with many surprises for the viewer… and also for the actors. Bamber reveals that Kasdan didn’t give them all the scripts at once, so “We were discovering everything together with the characters”. The actress shares with her character “that process of self-discovery that everyone experiences and that I think I’m still experiencing”.

Another aspect that characterizes the new characters is diversity. And that’s it the series features not only racialized heroes, but also queer characters, whose sexuality is not hidden from the viewer or portrayed ambiguously. On that, Cruz says yes “I really want people to know our characters authentically and see a world that reflects ours, where it feels natural”. In this regard, Erin Kellyman, who plays Jade, brings a similar reflection: “I think it’s just reality. It’s part of our world right now, so it’s very easy to incorporate that, because it’s happening, we’re all having it. We all have those experiences. I think it’s more about adding fantasy to reality.”.

“It is no longer a strange thing, it is no longer strange to see it represented on television”adds Amar Chadha-Patel, Boorman in the series (and note, the scene-stealer who will become a fan favorite). “It’s about time it happened. Either way, it’s too late”. “Seeing us on screen is something new and it’s great”continues about including people of color in fantasy. “But ultimately it’s about what we’re allowed to do and what we’ve been allowed to do on this show… this is the first time I’ve seen that for me. We’ve had the opportunity to play strong, interesting, funny, layered characters and we’ve never had that representation for ourselves.. Is a dream”.

the disney family

In ‘Willow’ several interpreters coincide who have previous experience of working on large projects of the various properties that coexist under the Disney roof. In the case of Revolori, who plays Flash Thompson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having worked on the ‘Spider-Man’ films “definitely helps”. “I already knew what was going to happen more or less”keep on. “Maybe not on set or what the shoot would have been like, but the general process of what was going to happen. As far as the pressure of revitalizing a story like this, which is a much-loved property, I’ve learned to keep my sanity in the process.. [Haber trabajado antes a esa escala] It was a great help”.

On the other hand, Kellyman has become a recurring actress for House of Mouse. We have already seen her in “Han Solo: A Star Wars Story”, “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” and now we repeat it with Lucasfilm. “Obviously, all Disney sets are overwhelming and huge and scary, especially on your first day, but for some reason, I don’t know what’s in ‘Willow’ that I couldn’t prepare enough for.”says the up-and-coming actress. For Chadha-Patel, who had a small role in the ‘Aladdin’ remake, the experience was different: “For me it brought more pressure. The sets of ‘Aladdin’ were impressive, there were 300 extras that day. That was the first time I walked on the set and I was blown away by how huge it was. And with ‘Willow ‘ It was the same grandeur and majesty, with all the power that Disney and Lucasfilm can bring to the table, but also with more responsibility.”.

‘Willow’ opens November 30th exclusively on Disney+, with a new episode releasing every Wednesday.