From SciFi Wire:
The Jim Henson Co. announced that it will produce a feature-film sequel to its 1982 fantasy film The Dark Crystal, with the working title The Power of the Dark Crystal.
The original movie was directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, with conceptual designer Brian Froud, and has remained a fan favorite with consistently strong worldwide home video and DVD sales, the company
said.
The company’s co-chief executives, Brian Henson and Lisa Henson, made the announcement. Odyssey Entertainment will represent the worldwide sales and distribution of the film, beginning immediately at
the Cannes Film Festival.
The sequel is based on an original screenplay by Annette Duffy and David Odell, who wrote the first film. It is set many years after the events of the first movie. The Power of the Dark Crystal
sees Jen and Kira as king and queen and guardians of the crystal, who fight to save their kingdom when the crystal is once again split. Incorporating a hybrid of live-action animatronic characters and computer animation, the production is expected to commence in the fall. Lisa Henson and Kristine Belson will produce, with Brian Henson, Ralph Kamp and Louise Goodsill serving as executive producers.
All I can say….
is ROCK ON.
My favorite muppet…
…from the original was the one that looked like David Bowie. He was SO lifelike!!
Oh wait!!
That was “The Labyrinth!” Never mind… :-p
Re: My favorite muppet…
1. That was a different movie, Labryinth.
2. That was David Bowie.
Damien
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Why do we need a sequel to this? It was fine as it was. Its the business mentality of squeezing blood from a stone rather than, who knows, trying to create something original.
Damien
Re: Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Because we’re Henson’s talentless “suit” offsprings and we want another BMW?
Re: Stupid, stupid, stupid!
From what I know of / have heard about the Henson children, they are anything but “suit” type people. You should take a look at Neil Gaiman’s blog – they’ve supported him with MirrorMask (the semi-sequel to Labyrinth) so I doubt they’ve sold out, especially since they’ve gotten the original writers to do the script.
Personally, I’m going to hold off with my fanboy wrath until I hear something concrete.
Re: Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Through necromancy?
They have 50% of the original writers, and the ideas man is the other half.
If you want concrete: That guy Odell has nothing listed on IMDB since the 80’s, and he is guilty of such unforgivable scripts as Masters of the Universe and Supergirl… both adaptations of existing material, neither part of anyone’s top 10 list of good stories.
What? You believed the press release cleverly worded to give you the feeling that they had the original writers? Tsk tsk tsk…
Re: Stupid, stupid, stupid!
How is it that you can irritate me so much through a simple posting?
So you think growing up in the Henson household, surrounded by Muppets and puppeteers, wouldn’t give the Henson kids an inkling of what their father was thinking? Right. You’re still judging them based on nothing – an assumption that they’ve sold out just because they’re doing a sequel is still just that, an assumption.
Again, withholding fanboy wrath until something concrete about the movie comes out. What they’ve released says that they’re going with the people originally involved, regardless of the crap they have put out since then. This says to me that they’re attempting to recreate as much of the original impetus as possible to make the sequel as true to it as they can.
However, if it comes out and completely stinks, feel free to say “I told you so” – but if it doesn’t, prepare for “Neener Neener Neener”.
Re: Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Talentless? Brian Henson was one of the executive producers of Farscape as well as directing many episodes, he was a puppeteer as far back as Labyrinth as well as several other Henson productions… I think I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on this one. And I’m a pessimist when it comes to sequels. Now when I hear Brian and Wendy Froud are attached to this I’ll burst into flames…
Re: Stupid, stupid, stupid!
*cough*nepotism*cough*
Informed Cynicism
It’s a gift. ;-)
I don’t trust this. This sequel, over 20 years after the fact, to a story that wasn’t open-ended. Years after the creator’s death… I would trust it more if it weren’t taking place about as late in the story as the sequel is in real life. This is setting off all of my bullshit detectors.
And as far as “talentless”, that might have been out of line, I’m pissed off at the Henson company for the crappy DVD releases of Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, and for such slop as the new Muppet Show, with the 30% rastafariased New Host… he was about as good a character as Poochie, or Static Shock. It is very hard not to expect more of the same from these people.
Re: Informed Cynicism
but keep in mind that Henson was bought by a German company, and then the kids stepped in and reaquired the Henson company, so you can’t lay it all on them…
Re: Informed Cynicism
Oh, I did not know that!
Well then, I’ve been aiming my hate beam the wrong way? Allrighty then, take THAT, Germany! </hate>
Re: Informed Cynicism
Clifford wasn’t a black dude because some network suits said “you need to be more urban to hit the target demographic.” Clifford was a black dude because his puppeteer, Kevin Clash (the man behind such previous characters as Elmo, Baby Sinclair, and Splinter, among others), is a black dude, and Clifford finally gave him a chance to be seen as one.
It’s not really a mop, and it’s not really a puppet…
Well, he was purple, but, still.
Anyway, the rasta thing is to remind you of the Simpson’s ep with Poochie… and I’m sorry, I don’t care how good the pupeteer is, the character was uninterresting, and the show was bland and quickly got cancelled. They recycled an old show, but discarded the star and replaced him with a new, “hip” character. They didn’t even promote someone people knew, they just shoved this down the fans’ throat… it didn’t take, and I see this as precedent.
Now, to be fair, I don’t think it’s impossible that the DC sequel will suck, I’m just saying that all evidence points to sucking, and love of the original is the only thing that fuels our irrational hope that it’ll be it’s equal.
Also, if you keep your hopes low, you might be pleasently surprised. If your hopes are high, you set yourself up for a major let down.
Re: Informed Cynicism
Don’t you know that in order to make anything ‘new’ or ‘hip’ you have to have a hip-hop host?
I think part of the problem is kermit has been retired, and that they had to think of something to do. While I didn’t appreciate the jamacain lobster or whatever crustacean he was I think it’s pretty impossible to re-capture the magic that was the Muppet Show in the late 70s. Stars don’t do cameos for free, they have so many handlers now and the ‘variety’ show that the Muppet Show was modeled after really doesn’t exist in the same format anymore. (Thinking of Carol Burnett, Sonny and Cher and what not vs. ‘reality’ television.
Though I must admit I’m looking forward to the Muppet Oz thing coming up soon on ABC to see how they handle it. I actually liked the Muppets in Space movie from the last go round, in my opinion it was much better than Muppet Treasure Island.
Re: Informed Cynicism
Well, Kermy showed up once ina while… and I think it was a cat fish.
I didn’t like him, whatever he was… the confusing might have played an important role in that, the “I wanted Kermit!” was about 80% of it though.
Re: Informed Cynicism
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE="cite">While I didn’t appreciate the jamacain lobster or whatever crustacean he was</BLOCKQUOTE>
Pepe is a prawn, hokay?
After wasting all my effort getting to know the Muppets Tonight gang, it really bugged me that they added Pepe to the standard bunch in Muppets in Space without also bringing his partner Seymour the elephant. They were clearly established as a duo; it would be like bringing in Bert without Ernie.
Re: Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Well they *were* involved with Farscape so maybe they could pull something new and original off.