Investing upwards of $100 million into a blockbuster series that had spent years languishing in development for the express purpose of making it impossible to watch anywhere less than six months after it premiered is an interesting decision to say the least, but one Disney made with Willow regardless.
The episodic sequel to the cult classic fantasy may not have set the world alight in terms of ratings, but what Disney Plus exclusive outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars actually does? Arguably the highest-profile victim of the Mouse House’s expansive content purge, anybody who wants to see what Warwick Davis title hero gets up to three decades after his big screen bow remains sh*t out of luck.
Several abandoned Disney Plus originals have made their way to various VOD and digital platforms, though, but Willow isn’t one of them as of yet. As you can imagine, Davis remains indignant about it, calling out the corporation on social media for its despicable decision.
There’s a high probability of Willow returning from purgatory and being made available for public consumption once again, but the fact it hasn’t happened yet justifiably sticks in the craw of its figurehead. At a cost of $106 million, you’d have thought the house that Walt built would have waited at least a little while before permanently removing it from streaming, but the fact it took less than six months is galling to say the least, as well as a dangerous sign of where the content wars could eventually be heading.