Ron Howard once named the “toughest movie I ever made”
Having weathered almost every genre under the sun, there’s little that phases Ron Howard these days, which by extension could mean the toughest production of his career is an experience that will never be toppled from its perch.
Whether he’s working under the fiery temperatures of Backdraft, the globetrotting shenanigans of The Da Vinci Code and its sequels, contending with Jim Carrey being driven to the brink of insanity by the exhaustive makeup process required for How the Grinch Stole Christmas, zooming around a racetrack in Rush, or being drafted in to save a Star Wars movie in Solo, he’s used to being in the thick of it.
He wasn’t quite as well-versed in the ways of sprawling productions and effects-heavy undertakings when he embarked on a real toughie, though, even if it proved to be a steep learning curve that came in very handy in the years to come when fantastical backdrops and piles of pixels became increasing parts of his filmmaking oeuvre.
Developed at around the same time as Star Wars, George Lucas ended up putting his fantasy adventure concept Munchkins on the back burner for well over a decade, due to a combination of his signature sci-fi franchise taking up the majority of his time, and playing the waiting game until advancements in visual technology – which he played a huge part in pioneering – had caught up to his imagination.
Having been friends for a while after Lucas cast him in American Graffiti, the stars aligned at just the right time for Howard to become the director of Willow. The creator of a galaxy far, far away had decided the timing was perfect to finally get the project off the ground, Howard was looking to stretch himself by taking on a fantasy flick, and he was headhunted by the plaid-loving trailblazer when he pitched up at Industrial Light & Magic headquarters to put the finishing touches on Cocoon.
Not that it was all sunshine and roses once cameras started rolling, with Howard admitting to The Oklahoman that “the toughest movie I ever made was Willow.” The setting was hardly ideal, either, with Howard branding the New Zealand locations as “the roughest I’ve been on.”
The shoot lasted from April to October of 1987, with New Zealand being joined by England, Wales, and California as camera crews pitched up all over the globe to realise Lucas and Howard’s vision, although they were denied permission to film in China. It was at least worth it in the end, with Willow going on to become a firm favourite for an entire generation, recouping its budget almost four times over at the box office, and earning two Academy Award nominations for its sound editing and visual effects.