New Disney+ Series Canceled After One Season

More than 30 years ago, LucasFilm — the studio responsible for Star Wars and Indiana Jones — brought viewers into another fantasy world. Willow starred Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Jean Marsh, and told the story of Willow Ufgood (Davis), who finds an abandoned baby in the woods. Willow — an aspiring sorcerer — learns that the baby will bring about the downfall of the evil Queen Bavmorda (Marsh). In order to protect the baby, Willow teams up with the rogue swordsman Madmartigan (Kilmer), and the two venture off as the ultimate battle between good and evil hovers in the distance.

While the film was not as successful as the studio had hoped, it still gained a massive cult following. That’s why — more than thirty years later — Disney released a series based on the film. Disney gained the rights to Willow back in 2012 when it purchased LucasFilm from George Lucas. Many fans were thrilled to see the story of Willow come to the small screen in a new way. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the love from fans was enough to save the show.

According to a report from Deadline Hollywood, Disney has decided to cancel the series after just one season.

There will be no second season of Willow, Disney+’s live-action original series based on the 1988 fantasy film directed by Ron Howard. The news comes two months after the eight-episode first season of the show, which served as a sequel to the classic movie, ended its run on the streaming platform.

The news comes as Lucasfilm has been reassessing its film slate, taking time to identify the next movie in the Star Wars franchise. Meanwhile, the company has built a sizable Star Wars TV footprint on Disney+ with such series as the live-action hit The Mandalorian and the upcoming Ahsoka, Acolyte and Skeleton Crew as well as animated fare.

The cancellation also comes amid increased scrutiny at the media companies, including Disney, which have been curbing streaming content spending in search of profitability.

Since the streaming platform launched in 2019, Disney has been honest that it is not likely to be profitable until 2024. While Disney+ is still on track to make that profitability deadline, that hasn’t stopped Disney from bringing the ax down on several shows. In just the past two months, Disney has announced the cancelation of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, Big Shot, and The Mysterious Benedict Society.

Disney has also been examining its slate when it comes to Marvel and Star Wars, even though both franchises have seen a ton of success. Just over a week ago, Disney shelved an untitled Star Wars film that was set to be directed by Marvel President Kevin Feige.