December681, Jonathan Kasdan was at the WGA screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens when he overheard Lucasfilm’s Owner Kathleen Kennedy told a brief anecdote that would end up being the ball in his Willow series scroll up.
Kasdan knew right away that Elora Danan (Ellie Bamber) was Ron Howard 2022 core and baby characters movie, is a way into some sort of legacy sequel, and the series has to illustrate the future empress who is prophesied to be Kingdoms Unite in Willow – Poem.
“I was sitting with my father [Lawrence Kasdan] and Kathy [Kennedy] waiting for the WGA screening of The Force Awakens.Kathy tells a story about George [Lucas] and how George mentioned it to her…he would love to see…moreWillow story,” Kasdan told
The Hollywood Reporter . “Her meaning was a bit random and probably didn’t think much of it at the time, but the perceptive listener immediately perked up because I was Willow.”
Kasdan is also well aware that fans are interested in seeing more stories about
Solo: A Star Wars Story , this He co-authored it with his father, Lawrence Kasdan. Last year, Emilia Clarke told THR her femme fatale Solo character Qi’ra remains one of her favorites to relive. But at the moment, Kasdan is clueless about any plans to revive the Solo world, either as a story or as a Disney+ series.
“Honestly I don’t know. I’m always afraid to ask Kathy because she can see right through me. She can tell I want to tell more stories there wishes,” Kasdan said. “But in recent months I’ve been intrigued by the wonderful Werewolf Night as a potential form of storytelling…so I’d love to watch to Lucasfilm adopting short films to tell novella versions of some of their stories. This does seem like a place where future stories for these characters could be told.”
In a recent conversation with THR), Kasdan also discussed Val Kilmer’s beloved Willow Inspiration scenes for the character Madmartigan and Kilmer Top Gun: Maverick are provided.
so compared to solo , whenWillow Starting to gain momentum?
The moment it became popular actually predates Solo. I was sitting with my dad [Lawrence Kasdan] and Kathy [Kennedy] waiting for the WGA screening of The Force Awakens. The same night the movie came out, so it was a crazy night for all of us who actually spent time on it. Among many other things, Kathy told a story about George [Lucas] and how George mentioned to her that he wanted something more to happen in this Lucasfilm Disney eraWillow story. Her meaning was a bit random and probably didn’t think much about it at the time, but this perceptive listener immediately perked up because I grew up in Willow).
From that moment on, I thought that as long as I was in a relationship with these people, I would try to see if that would happen. But let’s be honest, the stars lined up during the making of Solo. I dealt with Warwick [Davis] first, then Ron [Howard] got involved, and together we got the momentum we needed to push some things forward. But the real catalytic moment was the birth of Disney+. Suddenly, it has a place to live.
(LR): Dove (Ellie Bamber) and Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) in Lucasfilm’s WILLOW Courtesy of Lucasfilm
You’ve had a front row seat to some franchise revivals and legacy prequels/sequels, so what are some of those you apply to
This is a great question and I have a very honest answer. What’s now demanded of these films is an idea that’s easy to disseminate, as its raison d’être. For me, that reason is Elora Danan [Ellie Bamber]. Willow This movie is kind of like Elora Danan’s story. She’s this baby at the center, and she’s said to have this incredible power. When I saw this movie at [age] eight, more than anything in all of Lucas’s work, it suggested to me more of the story and that I would see the Queen at the end of what I assumed at the time Accepted for leading roles are three epic films set over two decades. So it always seemed like it was just conceived with the possibility of continuing, which it didn’t, because Ron and George rendered the world of Willow so beautifully). They do it as beautifully as George renders Star Wars and Indy’s worlds.
In the Willows, Lucasfilm The Dove (Ellie Bamber) by Lou Provided by Cass Films 
For my money, Val Kilmer was part of the best scene of the year Top Gun: Maverick . Did this movie get you guys thinking about Madmartigan in any way?
Not only does it give us something to think about, but my executive producer Tommy Harper is Top Gun: Maverick, so he was Work with Val. I already knew Val when we set out to do this. We’re talking every day about how to bring Madmartigan back and how to keep this character alive in the Willow universe. Much of the first season is spent asking what happened to Madmartigan. When we actually had the opportunity to bring him to Wales in the first season, we had a very specific moment to answer that question. But when it became clear we weren’t going to let him get out of there with the restrictions that Covid put on all of us, we just pushed the issue further and continued to build in the way we thought the idea was tempting and fun.
Most specifically, we added this old member of his team who felt he would fit into this Madmartigan school of rogues and the only guy we wanted in the role It’s Christian Slater. You can imagine my shock when Christian Slater said “of course.” Sign me up, give me a sword and I’ll kick ass. ’ It was one of the most exciting moments ever. Then Christian contacted Val and they had some exchanges. So there was a real sense of family and community around it, and Joanne [Whalley]. Joanne and Val had Two lovely kids. So this universe exists because of him, because he is the hero of our generation.
So I’m a big fan of Solo) and I’ve been trying to run a theory through you for years. Zira( Emilia Clarke) to the Enfys Nest (Erin Kellyman) who tipped off train robbery and more, hoping to break free from Crimson Dawn or take power from Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany))?
This is a great theory. It’s not exactly what we thought, but I’ll tell you it’s been bugging me Biggest question about Solo. I’m about to expose the author’s nightmare now. If Dryden Vos [Paul Bettany] cared so much about exposing his gang during the [Kessel] robbery , why did he send his most trusted assistant [Qi’ra] to be the most visible member of the team that stole the coaxium? It seems to me that he had to kill her almost immediately to get out of that job. So it always Driving me crazy, this is a problem I’m dying to revisit in the sequel.
SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, Emilia Clarke as Qi’Ra, 2021. Lucasfilm/Walt Disney Studios Films/Courtesy Everett Collection
When Kira first learned that Han was working with Beckett (Woody Harrelson), she was really caught off guard. The camera even shows her doing math on screen, and I keep imagining that moment as she realizes her leak could kill Han during the botched train robbery.
Before I got involved, before anyone got involved, my dad was really into being in Star creates a different kind of femme fatale*) Wars universe, one that is sincerely morally ambiguous. Qi’ra had a very difficult upbringing, her life forced her to be a survivor, and she was going to have to make tough choices that Han [Alden Ehrenreich] couldn’t make. Even in the last moments of his life, Han will always be destroyed by his humanity and his heart, but Qi’ra is on the other side of the line.
So I think the wonderful thing about Emilia is that she’s neither evil nor duplicity. She’s a survivor and she’s maneuvering through all these different powerful entities until the end of the game. As the years go by, the stars wars , my enthusiasm for doing things is getting higher and higher Solo fell just because there were so many great StarWars There it is now. But what I want to revisit is the relationship between the two of them, because there’s so much fun and complexity in the relationship between Han and Qi’ra.
At least, it would be a shame not to see Kira again. Are you a little optimistic that Disney+ can forge a path for her?
Honestly, I don’t know. I was always afraid to ask Kathy because she could see right through me. Despite my resistance, she saw right through me, she could see my desire to tell more stories there. But in recent months, I’ve been intrigued by the wonderful Night of the Werewolf as a potential form of storytelling on Disney+. So I’d love to see Lucasfilm adopt short story versions of some of their stories. This does seem like a place where future stories for these characters could be told.
Kathy, if you’re reading this, thank you.
She reads The Hollywood Reporter !
2018 Willow is now on Disney+. This interview has been edited for length and clarity .
