Willow (1988)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1988
Running Times:
Format: colour     35mm      Panavision (anamorphic)
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound:

SELECTED CREDITS

(Full Credits)

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Lucasfilm Ltd / Imagine Entertainment / MGM
Executive Producer: George Lucas
Producer: Nigel Wooll

SCRIPT
Script: Bob Dolman
Story: George Lucas

DIRECTION
Director: Ron Howard
2nd Unit Director: Micky Moore

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Adrian Biddle
2nd Unit Director of Photography: Paul Beeson
3rd Unit Director of Photography: Paul Wilson

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editors: Daniel Hanley, Michael Hill, Richard Hiscott

MUSIC
Music: James Horner

SOUND
Sound Designer: Ben Burtt

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Chief Make Up: Alan Boyle
Make Up: Tommie Manderson, Eddie Knight, Amanda Knight
Chief Hair: Barbara Ritchie
Hair: Joan Carpenter, Eithne Fennell
Costume Designer: Barbara Lane

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Make Up Creature Designer: Nick Dudman

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Supervisor: John Richardson

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects: Industrial Light and Magic; Dennis Muren, Michael McAlister, Phil Tippett

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Allan Cameron
Art Directors: Tim Hutchinson, Tony Reading, Malcolm Stone, Jim Pohl, Kim Sinclair

LOCATIONS
Locations: Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire, England, UK; Burney Falls, California, USA; Queenstown, New Zealand; Snowdonia, Wales, UK; Tongarino National Park, New Zealand

STUNTS
Stunt Co-Ordinator: Gerry Crampton

CASTING
Casting: Davis and Zimmerman, Jane Jenkins, Janet Hirshenson

CAST
Val Kilmer (Madmartigan)
Joanne Whalley (Sorsha)
Warwick Davis (Willow Ufgood)
Jean Marsh (Queen Bavmorda)
Patricia Hayes (Fin Raziel)
Billy Barty (High Aldwin)
Pat Roach (Kael)
Gavan O'Herlihy (Airk Thaughbaer)
David Steinberg (Meegosh)
Phil Fondacaro (Vohnkar)
Tony Cox, Robert Gillibrand (Vohnkar warriors)
Mark Northover (Burglekutt)
Kevin Pollak (Rool)
Rick Overton (Franjean)
Maria Holvoe (Cherlindrea)
Julie Peters (Kaiya Ufgood)
Mark Vande Brake (Ranon Ufgood)
Dawn Downing (Mims Ufgood)
Michael Cotterill (Druid)
Zulema Dene (Ethna)
Joanna Dickens (barmaid)
Jennifer Guy (the wench)
Ron Tarr (Llug)
Sallyanne Law (mother)
Ruth Greenfield, Kate Greenfield (Elora Danan)

A prisoner of the Queen Bavmorda gives birth to a child who, according to an ancient prophecy, will spell the end of Bavmorda's reign of terror. The child is saved from Bavmorda's clutches and set adrift on a river where it is eventually found by the dwarf Willow Ufgood who takes her in. But with Bavmorda's forces in hot pursuit, Willow must find a way to get the child back to her own people, aided by the warrior Madmartigan.

A disappointingly routine sword-and-sorcery romp, enlivened only by a surprisingly good turn from Val Kilmer. Unfortunately he's wasted on a sentimental and dull exercise in special effects overkill, Lucas-style cuteness and a surfeit of clichés and formulaic plotting. That said, the certainly film has its legion of fans, doubtless due to the Lucas connection.

Germany
Laserdisc Distributor: Columbia / Tristar (11549)

UK
Laserdisc Distributor: Encore (EE 1009)

USA
Laserdisc Distributor: Columbia / Tristar (79356); RCA / Columbia (30936)
DVD Distributor: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002617 - Special Edition; includes - audio commentary by Warwick Davis; stills gallery; Willow: The Making of an Adventure featurette; From Morf to Morphing - The Dawn of Digital Filmmaking featurette)

UK
Rating: U (with cuts)

AWARDS

1989
Academy Awards, USA
Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing (Ben Burtt, Richard Hymns) - mominated
Best Effects, Visual Effects (Christopher Evans, Michael J. McAlister, Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett) - nominated

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA
Saturn Award Best Costumes (Barbara Lane) - winner

Hugo Awards, USA
Best Dramatic Presentation - nominated

Razzie Awards, USA
Worst Screenplay (Bob Dolman, George Lucas) - nominated
Worst Supporting Actor (Billy Barty) - nominated

Young Artist Awards, USA
Best Family Motion Picture: Drama - nominated
Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture: Drama (David Warwick) - nominated

1988
May
20: USA - theatrical release

December
2: Spain - theatrical release
9: Finland, UK - theatrical release
15: West Germany - theatrical release
16: Sweden - theatrical release

1992
December
Day Unknown: Germany - laserdisc release (Columbia / Tristar (11549))

1995
December
18: USA - laserdisc release (Columbia / Tristar (79356))

2001
November
27: USA - DVD release (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002617 - Special Edition))

Adventure doesn't come any bigger than this.

Forget all you know, or think you know.

A world where heroes come in all sizes and adventure is the greatest magic of all

SEE ALSO
Excalibur (1981)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Seiken densetsu 2 (1993)
Seiken densetsu 3 (1995)
Willow (1989)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
From Morf to Morphing: The Dawn of Digital Filmmaking (2001)
Willow: The Making of an Adventure (2001)

MAGAZINES

Premiere December 1988 p.19 (France)
review (by Stella Molitor)

Studio December 1988 p.13 (France)
review (by Denis Parent)

magic, sword and sorcery, trolls, dwarves, queens, quests, babies, prophecies, fairy stories, snowballs, dragons, sorcerers, curses

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008