Willow (1988) - Trivia - IMDb⁠↗

According to Warwick Davis, the film had the largest ever casting call for little people at the time. Between 225 and 240 actors were hired for the film.

Warwick Davis was only 17 years old during the shooting.

The devil dogs were actually Rottweilers in rubber masks and suits.

The large group of pigs outside the castle continuously tried mating. Buckets of cold water were used to separate them.

The six-month-old twins playing Elora Danan were too young to have a full head of hair. They wear a wig, which was applied using syrup, as normal wig adhesive would be too harsh for the babies’ skin.

The original wand was a real piece of wood. Eventually they feared it could break and replaced it with several fiberglass props.

George Lucas, renowned for writing and directing Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), both wrote this film’s story and served as executive producer. Not coincidentally, it shares an alarming number of plot and character similarities with the Star Wars universe. Willow Ufgood has several traits in common with Luke Skywalker, a simple farm boy pressed into adventure by forces beyond his control, nudged along by Obi-Wan Kenobi. Willow’s equivalent to Obi-Wan would be the High Aldwin, whose rustic wisecracking vaguely resembles Yoda, especially after he delivers a speech about magic that sounds strikingly similar to descriptions of the Force. Madmartigan, the roguish, wisecracking mercenary with a heart of gold, quickly becomes Willow’s Han Solo before he stumbles into a stormy romance with Sorsha, who shares Princess Leia’s royal lineage, sarcastic wit, and rebellious streak; Madmartigan’s moments with Sorsha even feature a similar leitmotif to the theme played over many of Han and Leia’s scenes in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Sorsha’s mother, Queen Bavmorda, occupies the same story position as Emperor Palpatine, using her supernatural powers to strengthen her grip on the world. Bavmorda’s enforcer, General Kael, is a clear descendant of Darth Vader, bearing a menacing mask, dark clothing, and cape to help cultivate a fearsome presence in pursuit of Bavmorda’s goals. At one point, the three principal characters even wind up in a tavern not unlike Mos Eisley, filled with unrest and ultimately invaded by Bavmorda’s army before they must make a dramatic escape. The supporting characters have the same familiarity: the diminutive Rool and Franjean share traits with R2-D2 and C-3PO thanks to their comedic dynamic and occasional assistance to the main characters in times of need. Airk Thaughbaer’s friendship with Madmartigan is just as rocky as Han Solo’s rapport with Lando Calrissian, and their home kingdom of Galladorn suffers a similar fate to Alderaan, destroyed by Bavmorda’s merciless army. Fin Raziel, forced into hiding by the forces of darkness and representing Willow’s largest evolution into the world of magic, is something of an amalgam of both Obi-Wan and Yoda. Funny as it may seem, Elora Danan shares commonalities with the stolen Death Star plans; she is essentially a McGuffin, protected by the heroes as their last hope, and feared by the villains as their one weakness.