Jeff Sneider recently reported that Nosferatu director Robert Eggers was set to helm a new Labyrinth movie, and while some were quick to dismiss the rumor, it's now been confirmed.
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 had heard that another filmmaker was being sought for the project - we just didn't expect it to be Eggers!
According to Deadline, Eggers is also set to write the project with frequent collaborator Sjón for TriStar. Producers will include Lisa Henson, Chris Columbus, and Eleanor Columbus, while Brian Henson will executive produce.
We also have confirmation that the movie will be a direct sequel, not a reboot. Whether this means we'll see Jennifer Connolly back as Sarah and a new actor stepping in to replace the late David Bowie as the Goblin King is not clear.
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.
The 1986 film starred 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 (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.
How do 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."