Davis reprises the character of Willow in a new Disney+ series, a sequel to the 1988 film that launched the actor’s career and garnered two Oscar nominations.
When he made the 1988 picture Willow, Warwick Davis was only 17 years old.
Willow, conceived by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard, was a box office triumph, was nominated for an Academy Award, and continues to inspire filmmakers today; the director of The Green Knight named Willow as one of his inspirations.
In an era of remakes, reboots, and sequels, it was probably inevitable that the fantasy story of an aspiring sorcerer would continue in a new TV series set years after the film, which is now airing.
Davis told that the role and film had had a “big” effect on his life.
“Before Willow, I had been seen in Return Of The Jedi, well, not seen – concealed behind the fuzzy mask of Wicket the Ewok – so that was my on-set experience, as well as the picture Labyrinth, so this was a big leap of faith for me,” he remarked.
“Well, George Lucas took that leap of faith by writing the story for me, and it was something he first mentioned to my mother in 1984, he said, ‘I’ve just come up with an idea for Warwick, he’s not old enough yet, but when he’s a bit older we’ll do this,’ and it was Willow – he’d been sowing the seeds for that many years before.”
“I had to practice my acting skills outside of a costume where you could see my face, because inside a fuzzy suit, as I was as Wicket, you tend to exaggerate everything to convey your emotions.
“I’m acting away with my face covered by a mask, but no one can see me; thus, when you remove the mask, you have to pull it all backdown and truly make it natural and authentic, which is what I did.”
And the film’s success meant that Davis wasn’t the only one who wanted to continue Willow’s story; according to Davis, fans have been clamoring for more for decades.
“At the time I filmed Willow, I was just 17, so I considered myself to be a somewhat unskilled actor,” Davis explained.
“Although Ron Howard was a terrific filmmaker who supported and educated me a great deal, I still felt I could have done a better job; you know, maturity brings life experience, and you can apply that to your performance.”
“But in reality, my desire to create a sequel was inspired by the fans, who everywhere I went said, “We want more Willow!” Their voice was powerful and was eventually heard by the proper people, in this case, series creator John Kasdan.
It’s one of those films that folks who grew up with it recommended to their children, saying, ‘You ought to watch this movie, I grew up with it.’
Since the 1980s, the film and television industry has undergone significant upheaval, with technological advancements making it feasible to screen anything.
Davis indicated that, in this regard, the two projects felt very different on set.
Davis noted, “Technology has advanced by leaps and bounds because George Lucas pushed for digital technology and the work he did building ILM [Industrial Light and Magic – Lucas’ visual effects firm] and the advances they’ve made in that field.”
“The series was shot quite differently than the picture… CGI is the way of the future, and when we made Willow, we utilized CGI to convert the sorceress Fin Raziel from a goat back into a woman. This was the very first time morphing was used in a movie, and it was accomplished with the use of computers.
“That had never been seen before, so it was revolutionary at the moment, but today in the series you can pretty much do whatever you can imagine – so anything the writer John Kasdan could envision, we could put on screen for the audience.”
However, despite the advancements in technology, the show’s design and the overall tone of the story feel familiar, with Davis stating that he believed certain components had to remain faithful to the original.
“In my early discussions, it was really important to maintain the film’s DNA in the series,” he added. “We’re creating something entirely new, but we have to maintain Willow’s ethos.”
“The film’s popularity was due to its humor, magic, and characters.
“This has always been George Lucas’ guiding principle in his creations: it’s all about character, that’s what drives it, and plot – so a fantastic story and likable characters.”
The actor, who has made many cameos in the Star Wars and Harry Potter film franchises, among others, says he has witnessed Willow’s influence throughout his entire career.
“Now that people are learning about the series, they are ecstatic.
“Wonderfully, grown men approach me at gas stations and say, “Hey, there’s a series, I’m really happy to see this!”
“We put in a lot of work to film these things, so it’s rewarding when people enjoy them and are enthusiastic about them.”
