I’m not saying that they weren’t planning on remaking LABYRINTH, but obviously, Bowie’s passing, and the surprising outpour of nostalgia for his turn in the 1986 films, have instigated interest in the idea of dusting off the old Jim Henson’s property for the modern age.
Sure enough, Tristar and Jim Henson Co. have hired GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’s Nicole Perlman to update the story to the 21st century.
Here’s where it gets interesting: THR put that story up at 4:04 PT with the claim that the project is a "reboot," and just over half an hour later, Perlman tweeted this:
Not "rebooting" anything, guys.
— Nicole Perlman (@Uncannygirl) January 23, 2016
So it’s a 30-years-later follow-up instead of a fresh reboot, eh? Well, they’re not bringing Jareth the Goblin King back. No way they’d disrespect Bowie’s legacy or his impact in the role by slapping that codpiece on another scrotum. Maybe they’ll bring back Jennifer Connelly’s Sarah back, this time as the parent whose kids get trapped in the titular labyrinth, but I’m thinking the only thing we can bank on is returning Muppet characters like Hoggle, The Junk Lady, Sir Didymus, and Ambrosious, as well as the Goblins and Fireys.
The original was a huge bomb, and took the wind out of the sails of both Henson and exec-producer George Lucas, so it’s crazy that its cult popularity has snowballed to this point. I’m not sure the original’s kitsch appeal will translate to box-office bucks (or popularity with the kiddies), but with Perlman on the script, there’s always the chance that it could be as funny, endearing, and clever as GUARDIANS. As FORCE AWAKENS showed, there's been leaps and bounds made with live-puppetry and remote-control robotics, and this could be an ideal showcase for what the Henson Company is capable of in this day and age.
But if Bowie ain't singin' Magic Dance, what’s the point?
