One of Disney+’s latest is Willow, a sequel to the 1988 fantasy adventure film of the same name. Written by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard, the movie stars Warwick Davis as Willow Ufgood, a lovable dwarf or “Nelwyn.” After 35 years, Warwick Davis has reprised the role in the show, which premiered on Disney+ on November 30, 2022. The story takes place years after the defeat of Queen Bavmorda. A new generation of explorers is led by Willow as they travel across untamed and ethereal landscapes to save their planet.
The show also stars Ellie Bamber from Nocturnal Animals, Ruby Cruz from Mare of Easttown, Erin Kellyman from The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Tony Revolori from MCU’s Spiderman series, along with Amar Chadha-Patel and Dempsey Bryk.
The show, as yet, has received mixed reviews from both the audience and the critics. However, it has received immense praise for its beautiful backdrops and stunning landscapes.
Willow takes place in a world known as Mother World. Willow’s adventures take him through several fictional Mother World sites. Various sequences in Willow(1988) were shot in a variety of locations across the world, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, California, and southern China. The indoor scenes in Willow(1988) were shot at Elstree Studios just outside of London.
Most of Willow(2022) was shot in Wales and is serving as the backdrop for Willow’s magical adventures in the series almost 35 years after the original movie’s premiere. Wales, the country that combines both industrial sets and stage facilities with gorgeous, natural, timeless scenery, sits perfectly with the mystical theme of the series. Additionally, it served as the location for the setup of other films and TV shows, including The Dark Knight Rises, BBC’s Doctor Who, Captain America: The First Avenger, Tomb Raider, Merlin, and so on.
Willow Filming Locations
The series’ eight-month production period, which began in June 2021, ended in early 2022. The Welsh government released a statement at the start of the production last year in which they expressed their “great excitement” to welcome the team.
Morlais Quarry
The show opens with a training scene where the two main characters, Kit and Jane, are training in fencing on a rocky terrain, filmed in Morlais Quarry. It is a group of four limestone quarries spread across Morlais Hill’s west and north slopes, around 13.5 miles north of Merthyr Tydfil.
Dinorwic slate quarry
The iconic Willow Castle was a set construction in the enormous Dinorwic slate quarry, which is situated between Llanberis and Dinorwig in northern Wales; it was reprised in the show but made using special effects and VFX. In the Brecon Beacons National Park, scenes of rolling green pastures encircling a castle were filmed. This location has been a shooting ground for several other productions like His Dark Materials.
Pendine Sands
One of the key locations for the crew was Pendine Sands at Carmarthen Bay. However, it was difficult to shoot along the coast in October. They had to struggle with persistent rain and adverse weather.
Brecon Beacons
A lot of the scenic scenes are shot in Brecon Beacons. This location in the Brecon Beacons has a network of lovely pathways that are flanked by magnificent waterfalls. The stunning forest scene that appears several times is the Forest of Taf Fechan in the heart of the Brecon Beacons.
The Willow Tv shy
Snowdonia National Park
The Ffynnon Llugwy lake in the Carneddau mountain ranges of Snowdonia National Park is one of the stunning locations that the group of heroes passes through in the trailer.
Dragon International Film Studios
Additionally, Dragon International Studios at Bridgend, which is in South Wales between the towns of Cardiff and Swansea and has five sound stages, served as the series’ primary location. Dragon Studios is a 16-year-old establishment, and it is one of the top studios in the U.K. and the best location of its sort in Wales.
The studios have previously hosted productions for Universal Studio’s Brave New World, FX Network’s The Bastard Executioner, TNT Network’s Will, BBC’s Doctor Who, Upstairs Downstairs and Merlin, and so on. According to the reports, a set representing a medieval village was built in the Dragon Studios for the series. Although there are numerous medieval castles in Wales, the set for Tir Asleen was constructed on a Dragon Studios backlot in the southeast of the nation.
Other filming locations include Neath Abbey in southeast Wales, Saundersfoot, Mynydd Llangynidr Quarry, Pontsticill reservoir, Morlais Castle in Ponstarn, and the town of Tenby in Pembrokeshire.
