Disney+ And Lucasfilm Casts Three Ladies To Star In Upcoming Willow TV Series

A new show is coming to Disney+ based on another old movie from Lucasfilm. But you might be surprised to learn that this is not another Star Wars show like The Mandalorian. Instead, we have cast news regarding an upcoming Disney+ tv series based on Willow. The show will be a sequel of sorts to the 1988 movie starring Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer. And it looks like this time around, women will be leading the way. We have some casting news for the Willow tv series on Disney+, let’s dig in and see what we know.

New Talents Join The Willow Series On Disney+

Cailee Spaeny in The Craft: Legacy | Image via Netflix

According to Deadline, actresses Ellie Bamber, Cailee Spaeny, and Erin Kellyman have all been cast in roles for the Willow series on Disney+. Each actress has roots in genre movies and television already. Bamber played the main character of Lydia Bennet in 2016’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Spaeny appeared in the cult sci-fi show Devs, and most recently appeared in The Craft: Legacy.

Actress Ellie Bamber | Photo by Justin Campbell via IMDB

Kellyman is the face that is likely to be most familiar to Comic Years fans however. She played the fan-favorite character of Enfys Nest, leader of the Cloud Riders in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Kellyman also has a role in The Green Knight, a surreal take on Arthurian legend that keeps getting delayed.

Actor Warwick Davis will also be reprising the titular role of Willow in the series, according to reports. Fun fact: this is the second time that Davis will appear onscreen with Erin Kellyman. Davis played one of the Cloud Riders in Solo, continuing his long tradition of popping up in Star Wars films as a variety of different characters.

Erin Kellyman (and Warwick Davis!) in Solo: A Star Wars Story | Image via Lucasfilm

Female Protagonists At The Heart Of Willow

The Willow series on Disney+ is set to be a sequel series that follows up on the original film. From what we know, it appears to focus on a group on a mission to save a kidnapped prince. Gotta love that gender swapped ‘damsel in distress’ story. It appears that the princess and her primarily female friends will be the one rescuing the prince. Spaeny will play the princess named Kit who sets out to rescue her brother. She is joined by Bamber in the role of Dove: a kitchen maid who might just be “the chosen one.”

\Actress Ellie Bamber | Photo by Justin Campbell via IMDBErin Kellyman plays Jade: a servant, loyal friend, budding warrior, and ‘moral compass’ for the princess. (I really wish they hadn’t made the only woman of color in the cast both a servant and a sassy/wise best friend black character trope. Hopefully this role will evolve over time.)

Casting For The Willow Series Is Ongoing

Image via Lucasfilm

The only male character mentioned in casting rumors is reminiscent of Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan from the original Willow film. According to reports, the ladies will be joined by a young man who is a warrior and a thief. He joins the group on their quest in exchange for getting out of prison. This role has not yet been cast. But we will certainly be keeping an eye out for more news about the upcoming Willow series on Disney+.

The Willow series on Disney+ will be helmed by John Chu who is directing the pilot episode and acting as executive producer. He is joined by showrunners Jonathan Kasdan, who co-wrote Solo, and Wendy Mericle of Arrow. We will update you as we learn more about the upcoming Willow tv series for Disney+ so stay tuned to Comic Years on Facebook and Twitter for all of your genre news!

Emily O'Donnell is a writer and photographer with roots in some of the earliest online fandoms. She cut her genre teeth on the Wizard of Oz books at the tender age of 6 years old, and was reading epic adult fantasy novels by the age of 10. Decades later, she still consumes genre fiction like there is no tomorrow. She is delighted to be living through the golden age of sci-fi and fantasy popularity. She is unashamed of the amount of fanfiction that still lingers online under her name.