A couple of years ago Disney released a new series based on the classic Willow movie. The show had everything you’d come to expect from Disney: Strong independent women kicking ass. A beautiful young prince in distress. And a band of silly bickering men for comic relief.

It continued none of the magic from the movie, except from Warwick Davis himself. Regardless, I was planning on finishing the show, one day, eventually.

Aaaand it’s gone

Disney removed the Willow series from its streaming catalog. You can still watch the original movie, but the series is no longer available.

I find it abhorrent that a show produced by Lucasfilm (Disney-owned) and distributed by Disney has been pulled from its streaming catalog shortly after release. As a paying Disney+ subscriber, I was never permitted to watch the series in its entirety.

Granted the show was not great, and I probably spent a year getting through the first five episodes. I still find it offensive that Disney took it down to avoid paying the show’s rights holders. What a way to give customers the middle finger.

Aaaand it’s not available anywhere

To add injustice to insult, the Willow series is not available to stream anywhere. It’s locked down in Disney’s vault, likely never to be seen again. How can I find peace never knowing if Prince Airk was saved? Did the warrior princess and that other woman confess their feelings for each other? And there was also a plot involving Willow that I’m forgetting.

Honestly, the show was not any worse than 90% of what Disney is already flooding their streaming platform with. I kind of enjoyed it and nostalgia still runs strong in my veins. I will contribute to help preserve and make the Willow series available for future generations. No more streaming today, gone forever-after tomorrow.

You wouldn’t download a car

With all other “legal” options exhausted, I’m going down a familiar path. A path that was once my preferred way of consuming digital content. And I won’t have a bad conscience for doing it, and neither should you.

Well look at that. It’s like someone made a free library for digital content, for the good of mankind. This is how the legend of Willow Ufgood survives.

Why did Disney remove Willow?

Let’s end with a quote from the folklore-stealing copyright-abusing Walt Disney Company:

Disney is reviewing its content to align with its strategic approach to content curation.

- The Walt Disney Company

F*ck you Mickey Mouse. F*ck you very much.