The fantasy movie Willow and the Star Wars science fiction movies have plenty of unusual links, and the release of the new Disney Plus Willow fantasy series has led people to ask: are Willow and Star Wars connected?
While Star Wars straddles a line between the fantasy and science fiction genres, Willow is pure fantasy. The new Disney Plus series, also titled Willow, is a sequel to the adventure movie and continues the adventures of Willow on the Mother World. It sees Willow, played once again by Warwick Davis, leading a group of young adventurers on a dangerous and important quest.
But what about those Star Wars links we talked about? Is Willow connected to Star Wars, and could it even be a spin-off series in disguise?
Is Willow canon to Star Wars?
Unfortunately for fans of both Willow and Star Wars, there is no in-universe link between the two. So why did the rumours about a connection first emerge?
From what we can see, the reason why some people think that Willow and Star Wars might be connected is due to the people who worked on the projects behind the scenes. The creator of Star Wars, George Lucas, also created Willow. On top of that, Willow (both the movie and the new series) featured heavy involvement from director Ron Howard, who also directed a Star Wars movie. Finally, Warwick Davis is famously in both Willow and Star Wars.
Any link between the two was categorically denied by Ron Howard when he was asked whether Willow and Star Wars existed in the same universe. He said that this wasn’t the case, and that it was never something George Lucas had mentioned. So, there we go. Case closed.
For more on Willow, take a look at our explainer on whether or not Willow is a sequel. Or, to stick with Star Wars, check out our guide to the Andor season 2 release date.