George Lucas Teamed Up With A Legendary X-Men Writer For The Forgotten Willow Sequel – SlashFilm

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When the Unique Trilogy of George Lucas’ “Star Wars” saga concluded in 1983, moviegoers had been desirous to see the place his seemingly boundless creativeness would whisk us off to subsequent — however, if most of us had been being trustworthy with ourselves, we simply wished to know when he’d get cracking on that promised Prequel Trilogy.

Over the subsequent few years, he produced “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” the cult-hit Jim Henson fantasy “Labyrinth,” and the inexplicable “Howard the Duck.” Most intriguingly, Lucas backed Paul Schrader’s highly effective (and controversial) biopic “Mishima: A Life in 4 Chapters.” He was protecting busy, however largely utilizing his Hollywood clout to assist his mates and colleagues notice their peculiar visions.

So there was trigger for pleasure in 1987, when, should you had been studying Starlog or numerous fanzines, phrase started to flow into that Lucas had dreamt up a brand new, unique fantasy saga known as “Willow.” Whereas some had been disenchanted that he was as soon as once more handing off the directorial reins to a different filmmaker, Ron Howard had strung collectively 4 superb films in “Night time Shift,” “Splash,” “Cocoon,” and “Gung Ho.” When the obscure teaser trailer hit in early 1988, anticipation skyrocketed amongst style followers. We had no concept what the heck “Willow” was, nevertheless it appeared like one thing particular.

5 months later, we received a sluggish mash-up of “The Lord of the Rings” and “Star Wars.” “Willow” fell flat with critics and completed its field workplace run with a home take of $56 million. It was a surprising setback for Lucas, and definitely the tip of the “Willow” franchise. However Lucas wasn’t executed with the adventures of Willow Ufgood. So he enlisted “X-Men” maestro Chris Claremont to collaborate with him on the “Chronicles of the Shadow Battle” trilogy of novels. The reception was, effectively, very “Willow”-esque.

Claremont’s status as a comic book e book author was past reproach when Lucas approached him to flesh out his “Willow” sequel concepts in novel kind. Between 1975 and 1991, Claremont wrote such traditional “Uncanny X-Men” tales as “The Darkish Phoenix Saga,” “Days of Future Previous,” and the “Mutant Bloodbath.” I used to be in my younger comedian e book studying prime when Claremont was cooking, and would’ve learn a 500-web page examine of water stewardship if it had his title on it. “Willow” books, nonetheless, had been the place I drew the road.

It did not assist that the primary e book within the trilogy, “Shadow Moon,” was tepidly obtained. Working from a one-day story convention with Lucas, Claremont spun out a saga that finds Willow Ufgood dealing with an apocalypse that wipes out Tir Aleen and kills his Daikini mates Madmartigan and Sorsha. Willow takes on the title Thorn (which was given to him in a dream by Madmartigan and Sorsha) and heads off on an arduous twelve-yr journey towards Tir Asleen. Upon arriving, he meets a trooper named Geryn, who takes him to Angwyn, the place a now 13-yr-previous Elora Danon will ascend to the throne.

Alas, Elora has grown as much as be a complete brat, however Thorn’s largest drawback is the looks of a false, evil Willow. This results in a coronation ceremony that leaves Angwyn encased in ice, which forces Elora, Thorn (whom Elora nonetheless doesn’t belief), and a complete host of recent characters off on one more journey, one which stretches out over one other two books (and, intriguingly, turns Elora into the protagonist). Do you have to hassle?

When you’re a “Willow” fan, I am sorry, however other than its revolutionary visible f/x (morphing!) and sweeping James Horner rating, it is warmed-over fantasy hokum. However should you actually, actually are a “Willow” fan, perhaps the trilogy is price a learn? “Shadow Moon” holds a 3.7 ranking at Goodreads, and the next books, “Shadow Daybreak” and “Shadow Star,” land in the identical vary. This means to me that it is for followers solely, which, hey, love what you like!

As for non-followers, it needs to be famous that former “Thriller Science Theater 3000” host Michael J. Nelson and Conor Lastowka took to their “327 Pages We’ll By no means Get Again” podcast and known as “Shadow Moon” the worst e book they’d learn for his or her present. In the meantime, when Disney+ launched its “Willow” sequence in 2022, there was no important fan outcry for the creators to include Lucas and Claremont’s “Chronicles of the Shadow Battle” trilogy.

As for the “Willow” franchise on the whole, Disney+ yanked the sequence from the service the identical yr its first season concluded. Barring a miracle, it is truthful to conclude that the adventures of Willow Ufgood have ended.