Willow (1988 film)/Trivia

Billing Displacement: Warwick Davis gets third billing despite playing the main character.
Dawson Casting: Inverted. Warwick Davis was 17-18, playing a father of two. Either a case of Dawson Casting, or Willow made all the wrong decisions in life...
- Or Nelwyns just age slower than Daikinis?
- Could just be a cultural thing. People started families much earlier in olden times. It's not like he had to drop out of school to take care of them.
Deleted Scene:
- There is a continuity error that involves the Magic Acorns Willow was given by the High Aldwin. During an interview with The Empire Podcast, Warwick Davis explained that in a scene near the end of the film, he throws a second acorn and is inexplicably out after having only used two of the three Magic Acorns he had been given earlier in the film. Included in the Blu-ray release is the cut scene, in which Willow uses an acorn (his second) in a boat during a storm and accidentally turns the boat to stone. Davis says that his hair is wet in the next scene that did make it into the original version of the film, but the acorn is never referenced.
- A scene was filmed but cut, which during the battle at Tir Asleen, Sorsha finds her father whom has been turned to stone by Bavmorda and Sorsha's father communicates with Sorsha and pleads with Sorsha to side with Willow and Madmartigan and help them protect Elora Danan and defeat Bavmorda. Hence Sorsha betraying Bavmorda and succumbing to Madmartigan's affections for her.
DVD Commentary: Warwick Davis provides one of the best commentaries ever heard. Everything you want to know about Willow is right here. He tells stories, talks about taking care a baby, points out scenes that were deleted, gives behind the scenes info, talks about working with Ron Howard and George Lucas and explains the joys of working with Val Kilmer.
Dyeing for Your Art: Joanne Whalley dyed her brown hair fiery red to play Sorsha.
Hey, It's That Guy!:
- Airk's actor (Gavan O'Herlihy) was Brother Chuck Cunningham on Happy Days.
  - Also the Jerkass character Brad from Superman III.
- And Madmartigan is Iceman.
- Furthermore, Willow is Wicket the Ewok from Return of the Jedi.
  - So perhaps the main reason Willow was able to defeat Queen Bavmorda was because The Force was with him?
  - Years later, Warwick Davis returned to play a number of roles in Episode I, including an unnamed person seated in the tier above Watto at the pod races... wearing a blue costume, creating the momentary effect of "Willow goes to the pod races?", furthered by Star Wars.com creating a character page combining Willow and the unnamed spectator as an April Fools joke.
Keep Circulating the Tapes: Following Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm, the film has not been officially available. The DVD and Blu-ray releases from 20th Century Fox are now out of print, and going for high prices online. In addition, the film is also unavailable for streaming or download.
Never Work with Children or Animals:
- The large group of pigs outside the castle continuously tried mating. Buckets of cold water were used to separate them.
- Because of slow production during filming, the babies outgrew the props and the baby carrier that Willow had on his back, so they needed a new baby quickly. The second assistant director Gerry Toomey recommended his new born niece Rebecca Bearman, although she was never credited. The scene where the baby is sick on Burglekutt was not written into the script. Willow walked with a limp which gave Rebecca motion sickness. When she was lifted up, she threw up over his head, and it was so funny, they kept it in the film.
Real Life Relative: Ron Howard's wife and Warwick Davis' sister both appear as extras atop the snowy mountaintop village.
Romance on the Set:
- Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley got married in real life after meeting on the movie. Their marriage lasted eight years and produced two children.
- Warwick Davis met his wife who was an extra on this film. They've been married since 1991. One of the many reasons of why Warwick is proud of this movie.
Stillborn Franchise: Although Willow was intended to be the first film in a trilogy, its failure at the box office resulted in the planned sequels being canceled.
Technology Marches On: The morphing Conspicuous CG used with Fin Raziel was dated by the time Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country was released.
Throw It In:
- Val Kilmer ad-libbed most of his dialogue.
- Warwick Davis smirked when Mark Northover in character as Burglekutt sarcastically laughs at him in the scene which Burglekutt decides to abandon Willow at the crossroads with the group and go home. It was kept in the film.
Vindicated by Cable: A box office flop in 1988, it steadily developed a cult following thanks to video rentals and TV showings.

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