Why Was ‘Willow’ Cancelled After One Season on Disney+?
Willow is a 1988 fantasy action-adventure movie starring Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer that went on to become a cult classic in the ‘90s. In 2021, Disney+ decided to bring back Willow for a sequel series, with Jon M. Chu directing and along with some of the original cast returning. Unfortunately, it appears that Disney+ has canceled the sequel series after just one season. This news has left many fans wondering why Willow was cancelled.
In this article, we will look at the factors surrounding Willow’s cancellation and look at why it was cut short after one season.
The History of Willow
Willow is based on a story by George Lucas and was directed by Ron Howard. The film follows the journey of Willow, a reluctant farmer, who is given the task of descending into a treacherous valley to protect an infant with powerful magical abilities. Along the way, he is aided by a swordsman named Madmartigan and two other characters, while also encountering many of the fantasy genres well-known tropes.
Willow became a popular movie at the time but was never really seen as a highly commercial property. As such, there were no subsequent sequels at the time, despite interest from fans. It wasn’t until more than 30 years after the release of the original movie that Disney decided to revive the series for the Disney+ streaming service.
Reasons for Cancellation
So, why did Disney cancel the show after one season? There are a few factors that could have gone into their decision to end the Willow reboot after just ten episodes.
The first reason is likely poor viewership. While the show certainly had a cult following, it likely wasn’t bringing in the type of numbers Disney was hoping for. Failing to meet a certain threshold for viewers often results in the swift cancellation of a show, no matter how much a cult following it may have.
The second reason is that the show was more expensive than Disney anticipated. Willow was one of the first big budget fantasy shows produced by Disney and the cost of production, along with the special effects, likely became too expensive for Disney to justify continuing the series.
Low Budget
Even though Willow was one of the first high-budget fantasy shows, it was still out of budget for many viewers. The show’s budget, which was estimated to be over $50 million, was likely too high for most fans to stomach. Without an audience willing to pay that level of money for the show, it’s easy to see why its viewership ratings were low.
Lack of Promotion
While Disney+ did promote the first season of Willow, it’s possible that they weren’t as diligent as they could have been. Some fans believe Disney might have been too focused on their other fantasy show, the Mandalorian, to properly promote the return of this cult classic.
Ultimately, it seems like the lack of viewers, high production costs and lack of promotion from Disney are all likely factors as to why Willow was cancelled. But no matter the reason why, it’s still unfortunate to see a cult classic like this cut after just one season. Hopefully, the show will get a second chance some day and all the fans can catch up with the adventures of Willow, Madmartigan, and the rest of the gang.
