Warwick Davis didn’t take too kindly to Disney+ removing Willow series
Mr. Davis wonders what he should tell subscribers when they want to watch the series
Earlier this year, Willow, Disney+’s pricy sequel series to Ron Howard’s 1988 fantasy film, became one of the 50 unlucky titles removed from Disney+ months after release. The decision inspired an array of takes, such as creator Jonathan Kasdan’s confusing admission that he’s “kinda into” making the show harder to see. The rest of us, however, weren’t so impressed. In fact, one Willow star, perhaps the most important Willow star, found the decision “#embarrassing.”
Over the weekend, Warwick Davis, who plays the titular sorcerer in the film and series, tweeted about the awkward position the Mouse House put him in. “I meet lovely people on a daily basis who are fans of Willow, who are the reason the Disney+ series was made,” Davis tweeted (or X’d, or whatever you want to call it—as long as you call us “Ray,” “J,” or “Ray J”). “Please tell me [Walt Disney Company], what do I say to these subscribers when they ask why they can’t watch the series any more? #embarrassing.”
As of this reporting, the Walt Disney Company has yet to reply to Davis. Not even with a sweating smiley face emoji. Moreover, why are we putting a true blue legend like Davis through this? The world may never know.
Like every other studio that foolishly stumbled into the streaming business 10 years late, only to find, yup, no money there, Disney spent $30 billion building Disney+’s offerings with original works, with the highest profile releases being stabs at I.P. extension—Star Wars shows, Marvel shows, Turner And Hooch shows. Still, less than a year after Willow and fellow sequel series Mighty Ducks: Game Changers were released, Disney scaled back its offerings to secure the ever-elusive tax write-down. Of course, the removal of these titles didn’t come with a physical release or a platform change, taking these titles out of circulation indefinitely, which is what Kasdan was “kinda into.” For the rest of us, those who probably don’t have episodes of Willow on our hard drives, we’re left with a Willow-less world where only the original movie survives. Maybe, one day, the Willow series can take its spot on the Island of Misfit Streaming shows: The Roku Channel.