According to Deadline, Erin Kellyman (Solo: A Star Wars Story, Raised by Wolves, Life), Cailee Spaeny (The Craft: Legacy, Bad Times at the El Royale, Devs), and Ellie Bamber (High Resolution, Nocturnal Animals, Les Misérables) are in talks to join Disney+’s Willow series as the three female leads in the Lucasfilm project.
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Penned by Jonathan Kasdan (Solo: A Star Wars Story) and showrun by Kasdan and Wendy Mericle (Arrow), the series will take place years after the events of the original film and will introduce all-new characters to the enchanted realm of fairy queens and two-headed Eborsisk monsters, while also welcoming back its titular hero, Willow Ufgood, with Warwick Davis set to reprise the role.
The outlet shares that the series “revolves around a group on a mission to save a kidnapped prince. The members of the team include Dove (Bamber), whose backstory resembles that of Willow from the movie. Dove is an unassuming kitchen maid who proves that she is the “chosen one” as she embarks on the journey. She is joined by Kit (Spaeny), the princess whose twin brother was abducted. She is destined to be a leader and ultimately the queen. Kellyman plays Jade, a servant who is Kit’s best friend and moral compass. She is on her way to becoming the best young warrior in the kingdom. Also part of the group is a guy who echoes Val Kilmer’s character in the movie. A thief and liar, he joins the quest in exchange for getting out of prison.”
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In addition to directing the pilot, Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) is attached the serve as executive producer alongside Kasdan, Mericle, Ron Howard, Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan, and Imagine Television while Roopesh Parekh and Hannah Friedman will serve as co-executive producers. Original screenwriter Bob Dolman is also set to serve as consulting producer on the series.
The series will also mark Lucasfilm’s first venture into non-Star Wars storytelling since 2015 after the critically and commercially unsuccessful fantasy animated adventure Strange Magic, which was based on a story from its titular founder that took over 15 years to bring to screen.
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While a production start date has yet to be announced, Willow is eyeing to return to the landscapes of Wales for shooting after filming there in the source material.
(Photo by Joe Maher/Getty Images, Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic via Getty Images & Karwai Tang/WireImage via Getty Images)
