It looks like TV’s Grim Reaper has hit Disney, and three major Disney+ original shows have gotten the chop.
While some fan-favorites have been renewed for upcoming seasons, including High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, The Santa Clauses, and The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, other series at the House of Mouse’s streamer weren’t so lucky.
Big Shot, National Treasure: Edge of History, and Willow have all received the final ax by the network, and fans are, in a word, “shocked”—and speculating that the streamer “can’t get anything Disney-branded past one or two seasons.”
Big Shot
Sadly for fans, Big Shot has been cancelled by Disney+ after just two seasons. The sports dramedy, starring John Stamos, followed a men's basketball coach (Stamos) who gets ousted from the NCAA and turns to coaching girls basketball at an elite private high school. The series was created by David E. Kelley, Dean Lorey, and Brad Garrett.
nooo i can’t believe big shot got cancelled it was such a cute and fun show im gonna miss them:( pic.twitter.com/MrICGYLlcz
— kins (@phlaircs) February 18, 2023
It was reported last June that Disney's decision to renew the show for a second season despite low viewership may have played a role in the departure of longtime Disney exec Peter Rice. Though Big Shot scored higher ratings in its second season, it wasn't enough to keep the series from being taken out of the streaming game.
National Treasure: Edge of History
The highly-anticipated sequel series to the popular National Treasure film franchise has also unfortunately gotten the chop after its debut season. The show starred Lisette Olivera as Jess, a twentysomething who becomes entangled in a quest to find Incan, Mayan, and Aztec treasures hidden from the Spanish conquistadors. The series co-tarred Catherine Zeta-Jones as an antiquities dealer searching from the same treasures; Justin Bartha and Harvey Keitel reprised their roles from the National Treasure films in guest appearances during the season.
Not enough people discussing that Disney+ can't get anything Disney-branded past one or two seasons (besides HSMTMTS). https://t.co/JS0hmfZu0s
— Zach (@TripleZ_87) April 21, 2023
Despite being one of only two Disney+ original series not related to Marvel or Star Wars to make the Nielsen's streaming rankings with an episode—the renewed The Santa Clauses was the other—it seems the viewership was not up to Disney's standards, and the treasure hunt was officially called off by the streamer just last month.
Willow
Perhaps the cancellation that's provoked the most outcry from fans since its announcement, the television continuation of the popular 1988 fantasy film Willow was canned at Disney+ after only a single season.
The series told the story of a group of unlikely heroes who set out to save the world 20 years after the defeat of Queen Bavmorda, shown in the original film. The Willow television show starred Warwick Davis, reprising his role from the film as Willow Ufgood, alongside Ellie Bamber, Ruby Cruz, Erin Kellyman, Amer Chadha-Patel and Tony Revolori. The series was produced by Lucasfilm and Imagine Entertainment, which had produced the original film.
willow got cancelled so i blocked disney pic.twitter.com/9hfA3szmpr
— gigi | yj spoilers (@sapphosz) March 15, 2023
no one speak to me they cancelled willow i will be destroying disney
— rinceil sees taylor in two days (@cursedcatra) March 15, 2023
willow isn’t cancelled it was never cancelled it was false reporting it’s on hiatus
— toby #1 lilith hater (@jadetanthalos) April 24, 2023
Though the cast has been released from their contracts, series creator Jon Kasdan has hope that the show's story may be continued at a later time: "A decision was made last week to release our main cast for other series opportunities that may arise for them in the coming year," wrote Kasdan in March. However, the second season was fully written, and Kasdan hopes it'll eventually make it to air: "[I feel] fairly confident that, if asked, neither I, nor the folks at Lucasfilm, would or have actually characterized it [as a final cancellation]," Kasdan elaborated.
Hopefully, we'll see more from the world of Willow sometime in the future.
