Are You Ready To Return To The LABYRINTH?

It was announced that there was going to be another movie set in the Labyrinth universe after the sad passing of David Bowie last year. It received mixed feelings from the fans with their emotions running high.

Now Fede Alvarez has joined the TriStar project to direct. He will co-write the story with Jay Basu, who will then write the script. The film will be co-produced with Nicole Brown for TriStar Pictures and Lisa Henson for the Jim Henson Co.

The original 1986 musical film told the story of teenager Sarah, played by Jennifer Connelly, who wished away her baby brother in a fit of frustration. Jareth the Goblin King, played by the iconic Bowie, stole baby Toby and took him to his castle to be turned into a goblin. Regretting her wish, Sarah finds her way through Jareth’s maze-like kingdom to rescue her brother.

So far, the story has been called everything from a reboot to a sequel. Alvarez has now said that the project will be more of an expansion than a retelling. In an interview, he stated, “Labyrinth is one of the seminal movies from my childhood that made me fall in love with filmmaking. I couldn’t be more thrilled to expand on Jim Henson’s mesmerizing universe and take a new generation of moviegoers back into the Labyrinth.”

Labyrinth was the last movie creator Jim Henson directed before he passed away in 1990. It earned back a little over half its production budget and received mixed reviews from critics. However, it was a huge success for Bowie as an actor and loved by filmmakers and has now achieved cult status.

Over the years, there had been rumors of a revival. In 2014, it was reported that the Jim Henson Company was planning a sequel but nothing else came of that until 2016 when TriStar had hired Nicole Perlman to write the script. Now, the unique voice of Alvarez, whose credits include horror films like Don’t Breathe and the 2013 Evil Dead reboot, will help keep the darker undertone that the original film has, while keeping a hint of the whimsicalness.

Casting has already begun with production to begin in the fall. Whether any of the original characters will make appearances is not known at this time. One thing that is for certain is that the film will not include Bowie’s Goblin King. However, fans can hope for a possible visit from Connelly’s character.

Until more details are release, the most we can do is patiently wait, wishing we were dancing with the goblin king while listening to As the World Falls Down.