OmniLab pulls funding from Power of the Dark Crystal

[JMPrater]

Yes, Omnilab pulled their financial support and partnership with Henson on Power of the Dark Crystal, that's why the film stalled.

Wow. It's been almost two years since writing about THE POWER OF THE DARK CRYSTAL. Of course the shite was on hiatus...

In May of 2010 we relayed some quotes from Michael and Peter Spierig (DAYBREAKERS) regarding THE POWER OF THE DARK CRYSTAL...their purported 3D sequel to the 1982 fantasy-adventure DARK CRYSTAL. Well, with an almost two year silence... the film has not only been pushed to the back burner, it seems the Spierig bros. are leaving the project and moving forward altogether.

According to Australian publication IF Magazine, Ominlab Media has decided to part with the Jim Hansen Company (original producers) and pull financing for THE POWER OF THE DARK CRYSTAL.

Set hundreds of years after the events of the first movie when the world has once again fallen into darkness, POWER OF THE DARK CRYSTAL follows the adventures of a mysterious girl made of fire who, together with a Gelfling outcast, steals a shard of the legendary crystal in an attempt to reignite the dying sun that exists at the center of the planet.

Who knows if and when production on the flick will resume. Financing and a new director are needed at this point, so it could be awhile.

The Spierigs on the other hand have moved on to a survivalist tale called JUNGLE, which, without all the genre gimmicks, sounds like a theatrical version of ABC's "The River." It's based on the true story of Aussie Yossi Ghinsberg and his harrowing tale of surviving the Amazon Jungle.

SOURCE : http://www.joblo.com/horror-movies/...ystal-line-up-survival-tale-in-jungle-instead

 

[frogboy4]

Sigh. The Henson Company keeps floundering between projects; dropping one just to pick up another. Then back and forth. Pick an idea and see it through. Come on! Fraggles, Skeksis, Happy Time Murders...

 

[JMPrater]

I think we can all agree that The Jim Henson Company is a 'name only' representative of the Henson Legacy. At best they are laughable as a plausible creative studio.

 

[Alvin]

Hmmmmm....wonder what Jim would do or think?

 

[frogboy4]

They do some really creative things (Stuffed & Unstrung is amazing) and have a wealth of ideas, but they're missing a strong leader to shepherd them into being.

 

[Drtooth]

They do some really creative things (Stuffed & Unstrung is amazing) and have a wealth of ideas, but they're missing a strong leader to shepherd them into being.

I've been saying this for years. They have the drive, they have the desire... they DON'T have leadership, focus, money and apparently not any connections either. Stuffed and Unstrung and their CGI kid's shows are the only thing they're running on. The Marvin Quasniki Presidential run stuff is GENIUS... but other than that, they just can't get anything right.

I've been saying "Focus on Happy Time Murders" so many times, I lost count. This is something they can handle on their own, recycle all old puppets that they've been using for Stuffed and Unstrung... simple, easy to make indie midnight movie, POTDC and FR will cost a small fortune to make, they need to go in with a partner, HTM doesn't need that upkeep. But of course, they have a HUGE list of projects for them to half finish or neglect. I wish they did more with the Skrumps at least. They could have built that up with a vynal figure line, like the idea originated from... but no.

 

[JMPrater]

They need a studio partnership...like Disney, Fox, Dreamworks......some one who can bankroll the best of their ideas. Until that happens...nothing is gonna happen.

R.I.P Henson Company....it was a fun dream.

 

[geebuk]

Any billionaires out there want to take up the position of bankroller???

 

[Drtooth]

They need a studio partnership...like Disney, Fox, Dreamworks......some one who can bankroll the best of their ideas. Until that happens...nothing is gonna happen.

Too many things soured with Sony after Elmo in Grouchland, Muppets from Space and Buddy for me to want Henson to go back to them... even though they still continue to release the movies they own (and on Blu-Ray rerelease before Disner did any of theirs). Finding the perfect fit is almost impossible. I'd love to see Disney and Henson work together on Non-Disney/Muppet related projects. But other than that, there's no studio I really trust.

Happy Time is something they can do either by themselves or with the help of a smaller, indie film firm. FR and POTDC will take a LOT of money that studios have earmarked for buying up character licenses, and slapping together an unsatisfactory CGI kiddy film when the license is about to run out.

Seriously... Marmaduke gets made, FR and POTDC are in development purgatory indefinitely. No... seriously... a movie based on a comic strip that wasn't funny or relevant even when it was relevant gets a chance to be made. That alone should tell you what kind of market we have out there. Even Smurfs could have pandered to some 1980's fanboy market.... but Marmaduke? A movie based on a comic strip about a dog that just eats pies out of window sills?

 

[MrBloogarFoobly]

Shock! Awe! Yawn.

I can't say anything more than what Dr. Tooth has stated already. Henson needs to aim lower before it can start with something like POTDC. I mean, Jim Henson started doing simple little commercials. All they need is clarity of vision.