A few years back, seeing two well-known media franchises interacting with each other in the same production was a monumental event. These days, however, shared universes and “multiverses” are all the rage for all sorts of cinematic universes. That said, whenever two franchises share a few similarities, leave it to the fans to come up with some outlandish – yet oddly convincing – explanation of how the two projects take place in the same universe. For example, some fans have noticed coincidences between two vastly different stories: Willow and the sci-fi classic, Star Wars. But is Willow and Star Wars actually connected?
The Real Connection Between Willow and Star Wars
Beyond far-fetched conspiracies and mind-boggling easter eggs, there’s a real connection between Willow and Star Wars. As fans of the sci-fi franchise might know, Willow was directed by Ron Howard – but the film is based on a story written by George Lucas. What’s more intriguing is that the idea for what would eventually become Willow came before the whole Star Wars craze. According to Howard, Lucas had a rough draft for Willow written in the early 70s but didn’t conclude the story until after the release of Return of the Jedi, thirteen years later.
Could it be that Lucas included some Willow references in the Star Wars original trilogy? Well, it depends on how much you’re willing to suspend your disbelief. Some theories claim that the magic that Willow uses might be an early form of the Force, but there’s been no canon evidence for that.
The Shared Stage of Lucasfilm Projects
Another reason why some fans believe the two franchises are connected is that Willow, as it happens with some other of Lucas’ projects, has often shared the stage with Star Wars projects. This year, during the May Star Wars Celebration – an event designed to celebrate and announce Star Wars projects – the Willow Disney+ show was revealed. This reignited the interest of fans who were willing to connect Willow to the Star Wars universe, although the reason why Willow was announced at this event has to do with the Lucasfilm trademark.
Warwick Davis: The Actor Who Bridges Both Universes
We can’t also overlook the fact that actor Warwick Davis has had starring roles in both universes. He plays the titular Willow in the fantasy film, while he’s also known as Wicket the Ewok in Return of the Jedi. Sure, this might not prove any relation between the two universes, but, at the very least, it’s a real connection between the two franchises.
Ron Howard’s Response to the Fan Theory
In 2018, Ron Howard was asked if he believed that the two movies took place in the same shared universe. “I never heard anything about that,” said the Willow director. Furthermore, he explains that George Lucas himself never mentioned that idea to him when they were working on the film, effectively putting the “Willow is connected to Star Wars” theory to rest.
It is undeniable that there are some real-world connections between Willow and Star Wars. However, as far as the canon goes, there has never been any indication that the two share a common universe. As much as we’d want to believe that Willow’s magic could somehow be linked to the force, the only nexus between them, as far as we can tell, is George Lucas’s creative genius.
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What do you think? Is Willow and Star Wars connected?
