Robert Eggers'... Labyrinth?
Back in 2020, we got word that Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson had signed on to helm a sequel to Jim Henson's fantasy classic for Sony-owned studio TriStar Pictures.
Updates have pretty much been non-existent since, and we're now hearing that another filmmaker is set to direct the project.
Whether the movie is still being developed as a direct sequel or a remake/reboot/reimagining is not clear, but Jeff Sneider is reporting that none other than Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Northman, Nosferatu) is set to write and direct a new Labyrinth film for Sony and the Jim Henson Company.
This may not seem like the type of project Eggers would be interested in, but the original Labyrinth does have some horror elements, and there's always a chance the studio has given him a bit of leeway to take the story in a slightly darker direction (honestly, the first movie is fairly dark as is).
The 1986 film starred Jennifer Connolly as a teenager named Sarah who enters a strange fantasy realm in an effort to rescue her little brother from Jareth the Goblin King, played by the late David Bowie. There, she meets some weird and wonderful creatures (Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus) who help her on her quest to reach the King's castle.
Although it received something of a mixed reception upon its release, the movie has since gone on to achieve cult status, and we've seen various spinoff comics, books, and video games over the years. There's also an annual fan masquerade ball, which is considered one of the largest of its kind in the world.
Though we're taking this as a rumor for the time being (if it's accurate, expect the trades to weigh-in soon enough), how would you feel about Robert Eggers directing a new take on Labyrinth? Be sure to let us know in the comments section down below.
"Labyrinth is a 1986 musical fantasy film directed by Jim Henson with George Lucas as executive producer. Based on conceptual designs by Brian Froud, the film was written by Terry Jones, and many of its characters are played by puppets produced by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. The film stars Jennifer Connelly as 16-year-old Sarah and David Bowie as Jareth, the Goblin King. In Labyrinth, Sarah embarks on a quest to reach the center of an enormous, otherworldly maze to rescue her infant half-brother Toby, whom she wished away to Jareth."