Brian Froud and Neil Gaiman team up for new film

[Chilly Down]

This is from Variety, via SciFi.com:

•The Lion King director Roger Allers and Brenda Chapman, who served as that film's story supervisor, will direct Tam Lin, loosely based on the Celtic folk ballad. Created by husband-and-wife artists Brian and Wendy Froud, the script will be written by Neil Gaiman (the English translation of Princess Mononoke).

For those who don't know, Gaiman also wrote the acclaimed Sandman comics, and--most importantly for Henson fans--is behind the new Creature Shop movie Mirror Mask. So we have two Henson/CS people working together on a movie (which ironically isn't Henson/CS related).

So...a new fantasy film with the Frouds' artwork as the basis for the design? Yet another possible "third film" to make for a trilogy (counting Dark Crystal and Labyrinth). Wonder if Mirror Mask or this one will be the more worthy successor.

 

[beaker]

Hmmm, this doesnt sound like it iwll be a JHC CS film...though Mirror Mask will be. Heck Im all for a modern Dark Crystal type film...with advanced animatronics, cgi, as well as good ol puppetry it could truly be an epic ornate spectacle to behold.
I envision the Cell meets Never Ending Story.

 

[Chilly Down]

Cory,

You're right, it's not a JHC film. I only called it part of a "trilogy" because it'll be a fantasy film featuring the Frouds' artwork. It'll be interesting to see how it looks when it's completely rendered by CGI animation.

 

[Bean Bunny]

What studio is producing and distributing with Jim Henson Pictures?

 

[Chilly Down]

No distributor has been named yet for Mirror Mask. Sony is producing and distributing Tam Lin (not a Henson film).

 

[Bean Bunny]

Back in January Comics2Film/CBR News was able to exclusively report that "Mirror Mask," a film collaboration between Dave McKean and Neil Gaiman, was set to go into production this year. The movie, being produced by Jim Henson Pictures for Sony, would be directed by McKean from a script by Gaiman.

Kevin Kelly at Henson gave us an update on the project. Storyboards have been completed and casting is underway on the film.

"As soon as casting is done cameras will roll," Kelly told C2F. "It's going to be a brief shoot.

"Dave's done a lot of experimental films. He has his own method of filming. A lot of it is going to be against blue screen and then he is going to create the sets and everything virtually. It should work really well. Neil's writing and his art go together well."

Kelly tells us that attendees of this summer's Comic-Con International in San Diego will likely get a preview of the movie. Gaiman is the guest of honor at this year's show.

Although the movie is targeted for a direct-to-video release under the Sony Screen Gems label, Henson is hoping it'll get a theatrical release once the film is completed.