What classic titles should Disney revive after Willow?

Disney is in full IP mode, building out franchises and rebooting old properties on its streamer Disney Plus. A big new show, released alongside a string of titles like The Mandalorian and Andor, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, Disenchanted, The Santa Clauses, and more, is Willow, a big-budget sequel to the 1988 fantasy film of the same name. All of these new streaming shows and movies beg the question: Which classic title will Disney reboot next?

Also see: Everything you can watch on Disney Plus right now

Now that Disney owns Marvel, National Geographic, Lucasfilm, and what used to be known as 20th Century Fox, the entertainment giant has plenty of classic titles to work with. Willow was not a huge hit upon release and received quite mixed reviews from critics. Still, it developed a modest following over the years. The story of a young man who finds an abandoned baby destined to defeat an evil queen bears many parallels to that of JRR Tolkien. Under the spell of the Ring, so it’s not hard to see why Disney could use it as the basis for its own fantasy epic. Amazon has The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, HBO Max has Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, and finally Netflix has The Witcher.

So below is a list of titles Disney could potentially revive. Many are from Lucasfilm, although this list includes titles from all Disney holdings. They probably won’t all come out when Disney Plus reboots, but it never hurts to wonder what’s possible.

You can watch the new Willow series on Disney Plus from November 30 by clicking the link below.

Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal has already been revived as a streaming series on Netflix, but what about his other ’80s fantasy classic? Willow is often discussed in the same category as Labyrinth. Rumors of a sequel have been circulating for years, with various directors involved, but so far nothing has come of it. A series set in the mythical maze could be a great starting point for more adventures, perhaps with a new goblin king, since David Bowie has passed away. There would also be plenty of ways to bring in new human characters.

This is a good idea, and in fact Disney is already looking for a series set in the Indiana Jones universe. Until then, we will have to ask ourselves what lies ahead. Disney, Lucasfilm’s largest post-Star Wars property, still hasn’t done anything with Jones, though a fifth film is currently in the works, with Harrison Ford reprising his iconic role. There are plenty of directions an Indiana Jones series on Disney Plus could go. Perhaps another prequel about the young Indiana Jones, like the short-lived Family Channel series. Or a look at Indy after the events of The Last Crusade. There are also plenty of secondary characters that could anchor a spin-off.

George Lucas’s American Graffiti probably isn’t at the top of Disney’s list for a Lucasfilm revival on Disney Plus, but it could make for a fun show either way. The original, a portrait of youth in the 1960s, could easily be brought back, watching a new generation of kids check in with their boomer parents. We’re not holding our breath, but Disney owns the rights. It would be a fun alternative to the big-budget fantasy series currently emerging from the company’s acquisition of Lucasfilm.

On the animation side, Disney has inherited many films that were once considered competition for its own animated output. One of those movies is FernGully. The star-studded feature follows the inhabitants of a rainforest set to be demolished by a logging company. The film’s environmental message can certainly be updated to address today’s global challenges. Whether animated or live-action, a FernGully revival on Disney Plus would likely attract many fans of the original.

Westerns aren’t the most popular genre out there right now, but maybe they’re ready for a comeback. Based on a true story, Young Guns sees a group of gunfighters hired to protect a farmer’s land from armed criminals in 19th century New Mexico. The movie can be remade or adapted as a series. A revival series on Disney Plus could also mean the band getting back together, joined by young new recruits, for a new adventure.

Ron Howard was first approached by George Lucas about directing Willow while finishing production on Cocoon, distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film, about aliens inadvertently granting extended youth to the residents of a Florida retirement home, already has a sequel. There’s no reason Disney couldn’t launch a show or movie franchise centered around the aliens returning to Earth and encountering a new crop of humans.

Cocoon is not currently streaming or available on VOD anywhere.

Bridging the gap between Marvel and Lucasfilm is Howard the Duck, a legacy character who has already made cameo appearances in the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy and What If…? animated series. In the film, produced by George Lucas, a duck from a duck planet is accidentally transported to Earth. Howard the Duck bombed, but has since developed a cult following. Lea Thompson, who starred in the original film, has expressed interest in revisiting the property and would even direct a rebooted film. So far, Disney hasn’t budged, but maybe a Disney Plus series would make a good movie.

This one might be a bit R-rated for Disney Plus, but the streamer has recently let go of its stance on content made for a more mature audience. This 2009 cult favorite about a teenage girl who is possessed by a demon and goes on a murder spree was bombed when it came out. It has since been celebrated as a queer, feminist horror classic. Screenwriter Diablo Cody and star Megan Fox have both expressed interest in making a Jennifer’s Body TV show, so it’s not entirely out of the question.

Planet of the Apes has been revived many times. First with numerous sequels, then with a 2001 remake by Tim Burton, and again with a critically acclaimed trilogy of new films in the 2010s. Disney’s 20th Century Studios is already working on the follow-ups to the last three films. But perhaps the world of Planet of the Apes could also support a series on Disney Plus. Set in the original timeline of the film series, the more recent prequels could see us return to the more established ape civilization that is still in its infancy.

Those are a few titles that easily lend themselves to Disney Plus revivals. What are your favorite movies and shows that you would like to see revived? Let us know in the comments.