Willow is a 1988 American epic dark fantasy adventure film directed by Ron Howard and produced by Nigel Wooll. The film was executive produced by George Lucas and written by Bob Dolman from a story by Lucas. The film stars Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Warwick Davis, and Jean Marsh. Davis portrays the title character, an aspiring magician who teams up with a disaffected warrior (Kilmer) to protect a young baby princess from an evil queen (Marsh).

In a fantasy world, the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda of Nockmaar hears of a prophecy that a child with a special rune birthmark will bring about her downfall. She imprisons all pregnant women in her realm. The child is born, but her mother persuades the midwife to smuggle the baby out of the castle. Bavmorda sends her Nockmaar Hounds after the midwife. With the hounds closing in on her, the midwife sets the baby adrift on a tuft of grass in a river before succumbing to the hounds. Meanwhile, Bavmorda sends her daughter Sorsha and an army led by General Kael to hunt down the baby.

Downriver, a village of Nelwyn (a race of dwarves) prepares for a festival. The baby is found by the children of farmer and aspiring sorcerer Willow Ufgood, and his family takes her in. At the festival, a Nockmaar hound arrives and attacks cradles. After Nelwyn warriors kill it, Willow presents the baby to the village leader as a possible reason for the hound’s appearance. The leader orders the baby must return to a Daikini (the Nelwyn’s name for “tall people”) family, so Willow and volunteers set out with the baby to find one.

At a crossroads, they find Madmartigan, a mercenary trapped in a crow’s cage, who offers to take the baby in exchange for his freedom. Most Nelwyn think they should give him the baby, but Willow and his friend Meegosh refuse, causing the others to leave for home. After meeting Madmartigan’s old comrade Airk, riding with an army to attack Bavmorda, Willow agrees to Madmartigan’s terms.

On the way home, Willow and Meegosh discover that some brownies have stolen the baby, and pursue them. They are captured by the brownies, but Fairy Queen Cherlindrea frees them and explains the baby is Elora Danan, the foretold Princess of Tir Asleen. She gives Willow a magic wand and sends him to find aging enchantress Fin Raziel.

Willow sends Meegosh home, and continues the journey in the company of two brownies. At a tavern, he re-encounters Madmartigan, who is disguising himself as a woman to hide from his mistress’s husband Llug. Sorsha and Kael’s army arrives, but Madmartigan is revealed as a man to Llug, who starts a brawl which helps Willow and Madmartigan escape with Elora.

Madmartigan allows Willow to follow him to the lake where Raziel lives. They are captured soon thereafter, along with Raziel, who was turned into a brushtail possum by Bavmorda. Willow tries to restore her, but turns her into a rook.

One of the brownies accidentally doses Madmartigan with love potion. He declares undying love for Sorsha, but she is skeptical. Willow’s party flees, finding Airk and the remnants of his army after Bavmorda defeated them. When the Nockmaar army pursues, Madmartigan takes Sorsha hostage, and they flee once more. However, Sorsha escapes.

Willow’s party arrives at Tir Asleen, only to find it cursed and overrun with trolls. Kael’s army arrives, and Madmartigan and Willow attempt to fend them off. Willow accidentally turns a troll into a giant two-headed monster with the wand, and in the ensuing chaos, Kael kidnaps Elora. Sorsha, realizing she loves Madmartigan, defects to his side. Airk’s army arrives, but Kael escapes with Elora and makes his way to Nockmaar Castle. Bavmorda prepares a ritual to banish Elora from the world forever.