Val Kilmer’s Forgotten Fantasy Movie Is Quietly One of His Best (& It Was Created by George Lucas)

Val Kilmer and George Lucas are both well-known for tons of incredibly successful movies, yet one of their best projects was one they worked on together, and it’s never talked about. Kilmer has appeared in some of the best movies of all time, including Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick, Tombstone, Heat, The Prince of Egypt, and tons more.

Similarly, George Lucas is an iconic filmmaker who directed and wrote 1977’s Star Wars, which wound up being one of the most beloved movie franchises of all time. Lucas also worked on the stories of the Indiana Jones franchise, with him producing the film alongside director Steven Spielberg. However, some of Lucas’ other producing efforts are rarely discussed, such as Labyrinth, The Land Before Time, and this incredibly 1988 fantasy film.

Willow Is One Of Val Kilmer’s Best Movies, Yet Nobody Talks About It

All the way back in 1972, George Lucas had an idea for a fantasy film then titled Munchkins, although not much came of it at the time. Then, during production of Return of the Jedi, Lucas got to pitch the idea to Warwick Davis, who was portraying Wicket the Ewok. At the time, Lucas asked Davis about playing the lead in the Munchkins project, although he wouldn’t be officially cast until five years later when the movie finally began production, this time under a new title: Willow.

By the 1980s, Lucas believed that visual effects technology had advanced far enough to bring his fantasy film to life. Ron Howard had previously acted in Lucas’ American Graffiti, and due to their pre-established relationship and Howard’s desire to get into film directing, Lucas asked him to direct Willow. So, a screenplay was written by Bob Dolman, and more actors were cast, with Davis playing Willow Ufgood, Joanne Whalley playing Sorsha, and Val Kilmer playing Madmartigan.

Willow hit theaters on May 20, 1988, and while it was a financial success, making $137.6 million against a budget of $30 million, it wasn’t as big as some of Lucas’ other films. The film tells the story of a magician and member of a dwarf race named Willow Ufgood who finds a baby princess who is prophesied to end the reign of an evil sorceress queen. So, Willow teams up with a swordsman named Madmartigan and goes on a quest to protect the princess, defeat the queen, and fulfill the prophecy.

The 1980s were a great time for live-action fantasy movies, and it’s a shame that Willow is rarely talked about, because it is one of the best examples. The world of Willow is one of the most fun and unique fantasy universes from the era, and it is great for fans of franchises like The Lord of the Rings. Kilmer and Davis both give incredible performances, and while it was overshadowed by Kilmer’s later movies, it is a ton of fun to see the actor in a fantasy role. While the movie only has 53% on Rotten Tomatoes, it deserves a lot of credit for being a large-scale original fantasy idea, and fans of the genre who are looking to scratch the fantasy itch should definitely check it out.

Willow Was Continued With A Disney+ Series, But You Can’t Stream It Anymore

Willow never got a movie sequel, which is a shame, as the fantasy world is grand enough that there easily could have been more feature-length stories that explore it. However, that wasn’t the end of the franchise as a whole. As early as 2005, there were discussions of a Willow TV show that would have continued the story of the film. However, it was not officially announced until 2019, when it was revealed that a Willow sequel series would be exclusive to the then-upcoming Disney+ platform.

The Willow Disney+ series is set more than two decades after the events of the original film, and it features the return of original movie actors Warwick Davis, Joanne Whalley, Kevin Pollak, and Rick Overton, as well as new actors like Ellie Bamber, Erin Kellyman, and Tony Revolori. This time, the new Willow heroes are forced to face off against the Gales, an evil threat that could end their world.

Unfortunately, you can’t legally watch the Willow TV show anymore. Less than a year after the show’s release, Disney removed it from the streaming service on May 26, 2023, as part of a cost-cutting initiative across Disney+ and Hulu. So, Willow is another victim of studios making works of art completely inaccessible in order to save money, which is a practice that needs to end across the board.