‘Willow’ writer shocked by Disney’s choice to pull show from streaming service

A writer for Willow has reacted to news that the fantasy series will be pulled from Disney Plus. John Bickerstaff, who worked on Willow throughout its eight-episode run, shared an article covering the show’s cancellation on Twitter, writing that the streaming service gave the writing team “not even” six months. “This business has become absolutely cruel,” Bickerstaff added. 

Elaborating further in the thread, Bickerstaff said that the cancellation was a move on Disney’s part to “to get out of paying residuals” to Willow’s writing team, a particularly damning revelation amid the ongoing writer’s strike. Bickerstaff further lamented the show’s cancellation given the money already poured into producing its first season, saying the decision to “spend [REDACTED] on a show and then disappear it six months later is just bad business.” 

Bickerstaff also acknowledged that “so many good shows [have gotten] caught up in these dirtbag decisions,” presumably in reference to the slew of other series likewise pulled from Disney Plus and Hulu. According to Variety, Willow was one of four dozen titles to be axed across both streamers as part of a cost-cutting move. Some cancellations will be actioned as early as next week. 

Speaking of the news, Disney CEO Bob Iger told investors that the removal of titles from the streaming sites would ensure “the right path for streaming’s long-term profitability.” Other popular shows recently axed include the Brenda Song-starring Dollface, Big Shot with John Stamos and Y: The Last Man. It’s a familiar tale for Netflix subscribers, too, since that streaming giant has gone on a near-ceaseless cancellation spree in recent years, particularly among science fiction and fantasy titles.   

Bickerstaff is one of multiple television writers to speak out against industry standards in recent weeks. Writers on shows like The Handmaid’s Tale, Abbott Elementary, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and The Bear have all come forward in support of the ongoing strike, alongside camera-facing stars Seth Meyers, Pete Davidson, Patricia Arquette and Amanda Seyfried, among others. 

Earlier this month, Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin also said the strikers have his “full and complete and unequivocal support.”