Disney+ is reportedly removing Willow, a show that the streaming service debuted just last year, in a content-reviewing move similar to that employed by Warner Brothers in 2022, as reported by Deadline.
Willow was released in November 2022 on Disney+ as a follow-up series to the movie of the same name released in 1988. The property originally belonged to Lucasfilm, but was sold to Disney in its acquisition of the company when it took control of the Star Wars IP. The series starred the same lead actor, Warwick Davis, and an all-new story. Deadline reported in March that the series creator, Jon Kasdan, was optimistic for a second season, but not for at least another year.
Other shows that are reportedly being removed entirely include The World According to Jeff Goldblum, Turner & Hooch and The Mysterious Benedict Society, along with many other shows created for the Disney+ platform and Hulu.
“We are in the process of reviewing the content on our [streaming] services to align with the strategic changes in our approach to content curation,” CFO Christine McCarthy said, as per Deadline.
As of the report, it’s unclear if the shows Disney is axing from its Disney+ and Hulu platforms will be accessible in any other means, but if the shows reportedly being removed are, in fact, never to appear through digital platforms again, then it’s a terrific argument in favour of physical media.
Over the last year, dozens of original Warner Bros. shows have been removed from digital libraries and streaming services to save the business money through tax write-offs and cancellations. It was part of a content shakeup that also lead to the cancellation of Batgirl.
Additionally, an ad-tier plan and a price hike is reportedly being considered by the company.
If you’d to see more shows that have been axed in 2023, check out our running list here.
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