Careful What You Conjure This week on the podcast Johnny and Brian are defending 1988’s Willow, one of their favorites. They will also try to answer the question… Does Fantasy Count as Sci-Fi? Willow (1988) Summary Willow is a 1988 American high fantasy film directed by Ron Howard, produced and with a story by George Lucas, and starring Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Jean Marsh, and Billy Barty. Davis plays the eponymous lead character and hero: a reluctant farmer who plays a critical role in protecting a special baby from a tyrannical queen who vows to destroy her and take over the world in a high fantasy setting. Cast & Crew Directed by Ron Howard Produced by Joe Johnston Nigel Wooll Screenplay by Bob Dolman Story by George Lucas Starring Val Kilmer Joanne Whalley Warwick Davis Billy Barty Jean Marsh Music by James Horner Cinematography Adrian Biddle Edited by Daniel P. Hanley Mike Hill Richard Hiscott Production Companies Lucasfilm Ltd. Imagine Entertainment Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Release date May 20, 1988 Running time 126 minutes Budget $35 million Box office $57.3 million Production Notes Development George Lucas conceived the idea for the film (originally titled Munchkins) in 1972. Similar in...