Why “Willow” revealed Elora Danan’s true identity at the end of Episode 1 +2023

spoilers for pasture Episode 1 is coming to an end!

One of the most exciting things about Disney+‘s new series pasture is that it’s a fantasy show that doesn’t taunt the audience with its mysteries. Until the end pasture Episode 1, we know who Elora Danan is in modern times. There is no elaborate mystery for the audience to theorize about. We’re not teased that Erin Kellyman’s red-haired warrior Jade is a modern-day version of the red-haired infant Willow (Warwick Davis) and his friends, who are protected in the film. We’re never led to believe that Kit (Ruby Cruz) is secretly the child destined to become Empress. We don’t have to wait until the season finale to find out Half Rim is Sauron Kitchen maid “Dove” (Ellie Bamber) is actually Elora Danan.

Let’s go back for a minute. Disney+’s pasture is the long-awaited sequel to the 1988 cult classic about a magical child who is destined to save the world by defeating the evil witch queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh). The baby, named Elora Danan, is banished from Bavmorda’s castle before the queen can kill her and drive her down a river. Discovered by the children of Nelwyn Willow Ufgood, the aspiring sorceress embarks on an epic journey to bring the baby to safety. He finally defeats Bavmorda with a clever trick and everything seems to be fine. The baby will grow into a great sorceress and empress of all lands.

With the new Disney+ series taking place 20 years after the film, it’s time to meet this adult version of Elora Danan. We are first told that no one knows what happened to her. In Episode 2, we learn that Sorsha (Joanne Whalley) hid her for her safety and happiness. Elora grew up as Brunhilde, nicknamed Taube, and eventually became a talented kitchen maid at the castle. When she falls madly in love with Sorsha’s son, Airk (Dempsey Bryk), “Dove” is drawn into a mission to rescue the prince from his evil kidnappers. Eventually her paths cross with Willow and she discovers her true identity. At the end of pasture episode 1

Willow and baby Elora Danan, holding the wand, in Willow (1988)
Photo: Everett Collection

Yes, unlike some other big fantasy series – *cough* The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power *Cough* –pasture doesn’t wait until the season finale to reveal his biggest casting. “Not us!” pasture Showrunner Jonathan Kasdan laughed when Decider asked about it.

“Well, for me, so much of the show’s DNA was built into the fact that we thought the film suggested a sequel in a way that almost very few things these days suggest so clearly,” Kasdan said. “Having a baby at the center of a story like this, to tell us, the audience, that she has this tremendous power, that was the story that we felt the film had promise in, and that was the story we wanted to tell.”

Elora Danan may not be aware of her true identity, but actress Ellie Bamber told Decider that she knew “at the beginning” of the casting process that she was in the running to play the legendary character.

“Dove/Elora on the show goes through this incredible journey of self-discovery. There’s this total shock at the end of Episode 1 because she just never imagined that this would ever be her destiny or anything,” Bamber said. “Then I think throughout the show she walks a path of acceptance and figuring out what that means and how they move forward with that knowledge and how she’s going to help those around her.”

“Because, you know, I think she has this incredible heart and she always sees people with a beautiful kind of vision of each person, you know? She sees really well in people. So I think she wants to help those around her right away and she knows that’s her destiny and she has to do that.”

Ellie Bamber as Dove in Willow (2022)
Photo: Disney+

Kasdan added that they also wanted to get straight to the reveal of Elora Danan so they could tell the story of how she would grow into the sorceress she was meant to be. “We liked the idea that she wouldn’t be aware of who she is, that we could experience this whole journey with her. But we wanted to achieve that journey, and we really wanted to get there. We wanted to know what it’s like when she starts learning magic,” Kasdan said.

“The way Ellie immersed herself in this and this character and this fun was inspiring. And as we watched Warwick and Ellie fight on our sets and in our locations at sea [in future episodes], you have a cold. I absolutely looked over to my producer and said, ‘Look, that’s what we made this thing for.’ And he agreed.”

Warwick Davis told Decider, “Ellie did a wonderful job of capturing the kind of innocence and spirit of definitely who [I] thought Elora was supposed to be Danan as a character.”

“I mean, she has that beautiful innocence, that charm that we saw the baby grow up with. Also that kind of special thing about her. You know, Elora is a special breed of character with abilities beyond most humans’ abilities, and they just need to be nurtured and brought out somehow. Ellie really captured that brilliantly in her performance.”

Elora Danan: Baby no more.

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