The streaming era has not been kind to many promising TV shows, especially in the fantasy and sci-fi genres, due to their typically higher budgets. But one Disney+ example is an even more disappointing case. Disney+ has emerged as one of the streaming giants since its launch in 2019, and therefore has had time to upset people by axing several series.
Many Disney+ Originals fall under the Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universe umbrellas. The studio has taken advantage of other IPs to drive new content, but too often, not for the long run. Disney+ series cancelled too soon include the likes of Renegade Nell and American Born Chinese; the general list of fantasy series cancelled before their time in the 2020s is even longer.
The streaming and post-Game of Thrones model means that studios often invest far too much money into creating a prestige show and thus can’t justify renewing it if it doesn’t achieve mind-blowing success from the start. But most of the time, they at least make what they did produce continuously available for those who will still enjoy it despite it all.
Why Willow Was Removed From Disney+
Willow premiered on Disney+ in 2022, a sequel to the cult classic 1988 movie of the same name. The movie Willow follows its titular character, played by Warwick Davis, who is tasked with bringing a baby to safety, as the child is foretold to be the downfall of the evil queen. Davis and original star Joanne Whalley both reprise their roles in the series.
In the latter Willow, the baby Elora Danan is now a young woman (Ellie Bamber) who joins Willow and a group of new characters on another magical adventure. Despite eagerness from the team to continue the story, Willow was cancelled shortly after its season finale at the beginning of 2023.
Moreover, Willow has now disappeared from Disney+ entirely. The fantasy series was one of nearly 50 titles removed from Disney+ in May 2023 as part of the cost-cutting measures being implemented at the time. Disney CFO Christine McCarthy explained that the company was able to deduct the value of the removed content from its balance sheet for a tax break.
A TV show like Renegade Nell works as a standalone season, though it clearly leaves loose threads for a follow-up, making it frustrating to fans that they will never see it. But viewers can still return to it any time. Davis called out Disney on X in 2023, saying:
I meet lovely people on a daily basis who are fans of Willow, who are the reason the Disney+ series was made. Please tell me what do I say to these subscribers when they ask why they can’t watch the series any more? #embarrassing
While Disney clearly has no intention of financing another Willow project, with it being unavailable on streaming, in the digital era, it is like it never existed at all.
Willow Was A Lot Better Than Disney Gives It Credit For
And yet, Willow has a lot to offer that would have made it worth the chance to see what it could become after season 1. It has an 84% Rotten Tomatoes score and some amazingly underrated talent, such as Ruby Cruz and Erin Kellyman, for starters. Critics described it as charming and not overly serious, while also praising a sincere queer storyline.
Alex Harrison argues in ScreenRant‘s TV review for Willow: “But the guiding principle seems to be making something fun rather than self-important. In this era of treating every piece of IP like a form of scripture, that’s a refreshing change of pace.” Notably, Region Free‘s Joonatan Itkonen says: “The series knows its capacity for greatness.“
So it goes for many TV shows today, which might have had a chance to develop into something greater had they premiered 20 years ago. Sadly, with Willow, the series wasn’t able to stay on its home platform as a testament to that potential, despite its cancellation.
- Release Date
-
2022 – 2023-00-00
- Showrunner
-
Jonathan Kasdan
- Directors
-
Philippa Lowthorpe, Debs Paterson, Stephen Woolfenden, Jamie Childs
- Writers
-
Jonathan Kasdan
