Entertainment

After all, Willow Ufgood, revered by Warwick Davis, must be a master sorcerer. How else, besides magic, can you account for "Willow's" comeback after 34 years?

When Davis was chosen to play the kind-hearted magical trickster guarding a child whose birth was predicted to bring about the fall of an evil queen in director Ron Howard's fantasy adventure from 1988, she was only 17 years old. Even with Val Kilmer playing the retired knight Madmartigan and a screenplay by George Lucas, "Willow" failed to do well financially and might not have been given a sequel.

But marvellously, Davis, 52, will carry on the story in the Disney+ series "Willow" (airing on Wednesday), much to the delight of the devoted following who have grown to love the original.

"We'd love to see more of Willow, fans have been saying to me for 34 years. There is much affection for it, "says Davis. "But making a sequel is not only about love. It didn't generate a lot of revenue. It required a lot of effort."


With his son Harrison, 19, acting as his stunt and photo double, and actress daughter Annabelle, 25, portraying his on-screen daughter Mims, Warwick's return is a family affair. It adds another endearing layer to the original, a story about the ultimate underdog that made history by being centred around its 3-foot-6 star.

"In a typical movie, the hero character would be played by a muscular, tall, dark, and attractive actor. I nonetheless check one of those boxes "Warwick opined. "The audience's fascination is in rooting for this underdog hero. Despite being physically smaller and disadvantageous, if the cause was in his heart, he succeeded."

Throughout Davis' whole career, the beloved long shot theme has persisted. Davis was diagnosed with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, a rare bone growth disorder that causes dwarfism, at birth in Surrey, England. It all began when Davis' grandmother overheard a radio casting call for George Lucas' 1983 film "Return of the Jedi" in her kitchen. Davis, a "Star Wars" enthusiast, was encouraged to try out.

When Davis was cast as the Ewok Wicket, he struck up a friendship with Lucas. Davis says, "If my grandmother hadn't been listening to the radio, I wouldn't be talking to you today."

Although Davis gave Lucas the idea for "Willow," the studio first believed the teen actor was too young to portray a father of two convincingly. Having to cast a wide net, director Howard chose Willow.

For the role that had been written for me, Ron "went about auditioning short actors all over the world," according to Davis. "I gave many, many auditions."

The "scruffy and dishevelled" Kilmer, fresh off of his "Top Gun" popularity, came up after a New Mexico road trip for one of the pair auditions.

He sort of came in with a sunburn from driving his convertible, and there was instant electricity between us, recalls Davis. "George and Ron approached me at the end of the day and offered me the position. Finally, it was mine."

Love was physically formed when "Willow" was made. On site, Davis and Samantha, his future wife, whom they wed in 1991, were introduced, and Kilmer and Joanne Whalley, who played the warrior Sorsha, were introduced, respectively (they married in 1988 and divorced after eight years). Kilmer offered the under-pressure star—who was also playing the title role—counsel, encouragement, and, yes, drink.

Davis claims, "He started offering me margaritas in the evening." "Actually, it was just him and Joanne. At age 17, I was not at all a drinker. To which I said, "Try one of them." I still abstain from drinking. Instead of encouraging me to drink, I believe they discouraged me."

After the subdued movie premiere, there were no longer any studio conversations for a new "Willow" as Davis' career took off. He played characters in movies like "Harry Potter" and the "Leprechaun" horror series.

But 'Willow' has always been the film for which he is best known, Annabelle notes. "The movie is well-known among fans who have seen it numerous times. It's astonishing how dearly they cherish "Willow.""

The "Willow" sequel discussion reappeared with an urgent urgency while both father and daughter were filming "Solo: A Star Wars Story" alongside Howard and screenwriter Jonathan Kasdan, a "Willow" fanatic.

According to Annabelle, "I remember Dad getting incredibly thrilled and saying, 'Maybe this can happen one day.'"

Despite the long wait, the new "Willow" series came to life surprisingly swiftly, thanks in large part to Kasdan's executive production, Whalley's return as the current Queen Sorsha, and the father-daughter acting duo who played the father and daughter Nelwyn characters. According to Davis, "the way it all happened is really fantastic."

Davis regrets one thing. Kilmer was unable to reprise his role as Madmartigan since the effective therapy for throat cancer badly damaged his voice cords (the character is discussed in legendary terms in the new series). Davis missed his beloved co-star Willow dearly, despite the fact that Willow detested the way Madmartigan referred to him as "Peck," a pejorative term for the petite Nelwyns.

"Val instantly comes to mind when I reflect on the good times I had watching "Willow." On the set of the new series, I couldn't help but think of him every day. I really wanted him to be a part of the show. Sadly, it didn't work out like that. But before we got there, Val texted me. Go after them, Peck, he penned."