Why was Willow cancelled? Disney+ has axed the show after just one season

Fans of Warwick Davies who waited patiently for his new TV series to start are wondering why was Willow (opens in new tab) cancelled? 

The show, which finally made its debut on Disney+ last year after years of development, saw Tenable host Warwick Davies (opens in new tab) miss some of his quiz show recordings, so that his sorcerer character could come back to screens 35 years after the original movie aired.

But while the show has been a long time coming, it has made a swifter exit off screens as we look at why its been axed...

Why was Willow cancelled?

Willow was cancelled by Disney+ after it failed to meet the company's threshold in terms of the buzz generated around the series return and Disney were said to be looking at cutting costs on its streaming service in search of boosting profits - resulting in Willow falling victim to it, according to Deadline (opens in new tab). After all, it wasn't a cheap show to make and hasn't performed on the level of other shows.

The show American high fantasy adventure television series is based on and served as a sequel to the 1988 film of the same name. The series was produced by Lucasfilm and Imagine Entertainment, the series was mostly filmed in Wales in April 2021, and first premiered on the streaming service Disney+ on November 30, 2022.

Fans have mixed feelings on the axing.

One fan tweeted, "I really wanted to like that show cuz Warwick Davis is super cool and I dug the original movie but man... I just couldn't get through it."

Another fan put, "Damn. I was hoping to see what book two and three were. But I know I was in the minority. Thanks for the fun ride!"

A third fan said, "I tried watching the first episode, and I wasn’t captivated by it like other Disney+ originals. Which is strange because they’re really good with their originals!"

While a fourth fan added, "It was HORRIBLE, so disappointing. The whole modern talk/slang and modern clothes with modern teens made no sense. Oh and not to mention the modern pop songs that would come on randomly and always at the end of the episode. It was great visually but that isn’t enough. It was a slap in the face to the original fans, I’ll never forget the 1900s cowgirls in modern denim jeans and clothing that happened for no reason at all."

Willow cast

Willow featured a cast which consisted of Ellie Bamber, Ruby Cruz, Erin Kellyman, Amer Chadha-Patel and Tony Revolori starred alongside Warwick Davis, who reprised his original title role as Willow Ufgood. The show was based on the storyline set in a world where brownies, sorcerers, trolls and other mystical creatures flourish. An unlikely group of heroes set off on a dangerous quest to places far beyond their home, where they must face their inner demons and come together to save their world.

Was there supposed to be a Willow 2?

Following the release of Willow Season 1 there were no official plans for a Willow Season 2. And now that the show has been `officially axed by Disney+ it's unlikely to get a season 2 in the near future. But Deadline hasn't ruled out it being revisited in the future telling its readers, "Willow remains an important IP in the Lucasfilm library, so it might be revisited in the future."

Related Disney+ features

• Peter Pan and Wendy (opens in new tab)
• Abbott Elementary (opens in new tab)
• Fleishman Is In Trouble (opens in new tab)
• Disenchanted (opens in new tab)
• Strange World (opens in new tab)

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