Ron Howard Says “Never Say Never” Regarding ‘Willow 2’
Are you a massiveWillowfan? Then today’s your lucky day, because directorRon Howarddidn’t totally brush off the idea of doing a sequel to the film. It’s been almost 30 years since the fantasy picture, starringWarwick Davis(Life’s Too Short) andVal Kilmer(Top Secret!), was released, but it’s a world Howard wouldn’t mind returning to.
Read theIn the Heart of the Sea’s director’s comments after the jump.
Considering Lucasfilm is currently busy dreaming about all the money they’re going to make off the return ofStar Wars,Willow 2probably isn’t their top priority. In a Q & A over atReddit, though, Howard says he’s open to directing a sequel to his cult fantasy film:
Right now, the Lucasfilm team led by Kathleen Kennedy, who is an old dear friend, is entirely myopically focused on the Star Wars universe as you can imagine. So I think the immediate possibility of another Willow movie is probably not on the front burner. But Warwick Davis is such a cool guy, and he’s continued to evolve as a talent … man, he’s Willow! And a grown-up Willow could be kind of cool, so, I’d say never say never.
While Howard doesn’t callWillowa missed opportunity, his comments below read as if he wants to have a second chance to fully explore the world he andGeorge Lucasset up back in 1988:
You know there are things about the movieWillow, as much affection as I have for it and as much affection as fans have for it that, you know, I would love to have a second chance with. George Lucas was so trusting; I was still fairly green, I always say it was a little like me doing my doctoral thesis working with George Lucas on that movieWillow. And I think today I could make it even more dynamic, I could make it cooler, I could make the funny stuff funnier, but all that said, you know Willow was a great experience and I’m really glad it sort of lives in peoples memory. Or younger people see it today and still find something to really like about it.
While “cooler” is definitely not what I’d want from aWillowsequel, there’s definitely room for improvement, if they do ever make aWillow 2. Howard’s movie is definitely a product of its time, but not in a bad way. There’s a kindness to the film and the titular character we rarely see in fantasy movies anymore.
Is there any interest out there for aWillow 2, though? I know I’d be first in line to see Val Kilmer play Madmartigan again, but what about the rest of the world?
