Brian
Henson on new Dark Crystal and Fraggle Rock films
Henson
reveals that "The Power of the Dark Crystal" is on schedule
while work continues on the development of a Fraggle Rock theatrical
film
Courtesy
of Now Playing Magazine
May
3, 2006
Henson
Company co-CEO Brian Henson got on the phone with Now Playing recently
to promote the DVD release of the first two seasons of the animatronic
sitcom Dinosaurs. And it didn’t take long for him to begin
spilling secrets about his upcoming projects. First up is the “Battleground”
episode of Stephen King’s Nightmares and Dreamscapes for TNT.
A Henson doing
Stephen King? What gives? “Well, I’ve always wanted
to do something not for kids and I basically got to really exercise
that on Farscape,” Henson says. “So Farscape was my
big adult thing that I did and I did that for a lot of years. In
continuing along that line, I did this ‘Battleground’
for Nightmares and Dreamscapes and I think I will do more drama/science
fiction in the sort of X-Files vein as well as quite likely doing
some more science fiction. I’m also enjoying some adult comedy.
I think I would likely do some cool puppet pieces that are puppets
but doing adult material.”
But
don’t look for any evil puppets in “Battleground.”
“There are characters [but] they’re not really puppets.
They’re CG characters and costumes. It’s basically about
a guy who gets hunted down in his apartment by a box of toy soldiers.”
In
even bigger news for children of the 1980s, the Henson Company is
doing a feature length Fraggle Rock
movie. “I think we announced that we’re trying to
develop a Fraggle Rock movie a little bit earlier than we’re
doing it. Yes, we’re writing a Fraggle Rock movie and trying
to pull it together.”
It’s been
so long that they may have to reintroduce the origin story of the
Fraggles, but devotees need not worry about a cheap remake. “I
think it was more realizing the Fraggles in a slightly different
environment. It was to do something that sort of stands next to
Fraggle Rock rather than [is] a continuation of [it].”
You’ll
see all your favorite Fraggles, and you won’t even be able
to tell that the original puppets have been lost to mothballs. “Well,
we have to rebuild them because they’re old, but it would
be with a lot of those characters, definitely.”
|
Queen
Kira from the upcoming 2007 film, "The Power of the Dark
Crystal". |
On
the front burner for Henson is a sequel to
the cult classic The Dark Crystal. “We are trying to pull
the business pieces together on a Dark Crystal sequel. That one’s
pretty far along. It’s got a good, strong script, a great
vision for how to do it and we’re just trying to [put it together].”
Much of the
talent involved with the original Dark Crystal has left the Henson
Company, so recreating that world will take more than just rebuilding
the puppets. “For Dark Crystal, almost none of the voices
were actually the puppeteers, so they were mostly voice artists.
Where characters need to have the same voice we would likely try
to find those voice artists or look for other voice artists.”
If Dark Crystal
2 happens, the obvious follow-up to Labyrinth would not be far behind.
But Henson’s not thinking of an outright sequel for that world.
“Actually, we’re talking about doing something different
with Labyrinth but I can’t really talk about it. So we’re
not really working on a sequel for Labyrinth right now, but Dark
Crystal we are.”
MORE
HENSON NEWS
• Jerry
Nelson tribute at The Moving Image Museum October 27
• Jim
Henson's Pajanimals debuts on NBC Kids Saturday July 7
• The
New York Pops play The Muppets at Carnegie Hall April 14
• Henson
announces "Sid the Science Kid: The Movie" in 3-D
• The Jim Henson Company Puppets to perform at the 2011 Grammys
• "Pioneers of Television" special
to honor Jim Henson
• Classic "Henson's Place" special
arrives on DVD August 3
• Frank
Oz unveils tribute to the "Henson Pipes" at NBC Studios
|