Roopesh Parekh On ‘Willow’: Takes Something Special To Take George Lucas’ Characters And Reimagine Them For A New Audience

Decades after George Lucas’ fantasy-adventure film ‘Willow’ captured viewers' imaginations globally, the world of ‘Willow’ has risen again with an all-new action-adventure sequel of the same name on Disney+ Hotstar. Introducing a new generation of viewers to the magic and wonder of the fantasy-adventure film, the new series sees Warwick Davis reprising the titular role of Willow Ufgood, the aspiring sorcerer who is now High Aldwyn of the Nelwyn people.

Davis is Joanne Whalley as Queen Sorsha, Dempsey Bryk as Prince Airk, Ruby Cruz as Prince Airk’s sister, and Ellie Bamber, Erin Kellyman, Tony Revolori, and Amar Chada-Patel in other prominent roles. Written and executive produced by showrunner Jonathan Kasdan with Ron Howard and Roopesh Parekh as executive producers, the series walks a tonal line between epic fantasy, comedy, and a reverence for the original with a contemporary edge.

Executive producer Roopesh Parekh agrees, saying, “One of the amazing things Jon Kasdan has done is tap into a vast treasure trove of amazing characters, amazing stories, and amazing mythology that lies within ‘Willow.’ It takes something very special to be able to take on George Lucas’ characters and reimagine them for a whole new audience and a whole new world.”

He continues, “Jon was able to bring a new version of this movie to life, and I think the reason he was able to do that so tremendously is, first and foremost, because he is a fan of the original movie. Plus, you can relate to the ensemble cast. Some people will be drawn to Kit and sort of the cheekiness that she has, and some people will be drawn to Graydon’s sensitivity or Boorman’s outlandishness, and it is great when you have got such a blend of characters and personalities, but they still have this common mission. They still must go on this quest and go on this journey. And through that, they will discover themselves, and they will discover a lot about each other.”

Along with Jonathan, the series is also written by John Bickerstaff, Julia Cooperman, Bob Dolman, Hannah Friedman, Rayna McClendon, Wendy Mericle, and Stu Selonick with Kathy Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan, Tommy Harper, Wendy Mericle, Roopesh Parekh, and Samie Kim Falvey serving as executive producers.