The Willow series coming down the pipeline at Disney+ has found its director in Jon M. Chu.
In a press release sent out by Disney on Tuesday (October 20), the company revealed that Crazy Rich Asians vet Jon M. Chu has officially signed on to direct the pilot and serve as an executive producer on the streamer’s upcoming Willow series.
Chu will be working alongside show runners Jonathan Kasdan (Solo) and Wendy Mericle (Arrow) on the series, which is based off of the beloved 1988 fantasy film of the same name.
In addition, Ron Howard (who directed the original movie from a story by George Lucas) is also on board to serve as an executive producer on the series alongside original film writer, Bob Dolman.
In a statement announcing his involvement Chu (who recently also served as director on In The Heights) spoke of how he’s been a fan of the original movie since he was a child.
“Growing up in the ’80s, Willow has had a profound effect on me,” says Chu. “The story of the bravest heroes in the least likely places allowed me, an Asian-American kid growing up in a Chinese restaurant looking to go to Hollywood, to believe in the power of our own will, determination and of course, inner magic. So the fact that I get to work with my heroes from Kathleen Kennedy to Ron Howard is bigger than a dream come-true. It’s a bucket-list moment for me. Jon Kasdan and Wendy Mericle have added such groundbreaking new characters and delightful surprises to this timeless story that I can’t wait for the world to come along on this epic journey with us.”
Word of a Willow series first reached the internet last year in May, when original film director Ron Howard teased that it was something Disney+ was looking into.
Speaking to returning to the world for the new Disney+ show, Howard said: “It’s creatively exciting to not only revisit the world and characters first conceived by George Lucas, Bob Dolman and myself but to see it take flight in such fresh, fun and cinematic ways through the imagination of Jon Kasdan and Team Willow. This isn’t a nostalgic throw-back, it’s a creative lean-forward and it’s a blast to be a part of it all.”
Currently, there’s no word on when we can expect the Willow series to debut via Disney+
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