Two ’80s Fantasy Classics Find A New Home

In addition to Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal joining Shout’s growing roster of quality films, the studio has announced plans to release behind-the-scenes special features for both films globally.

This includes the featurette The World of the Dark Crystal and Inside the Labyrinth. These specials will dive into the incredible artistry that went into bringing the two landmark films to life, including a peak at Jim Henson’s extensive penchant for practical effects and hand-crafted animatronics.

Labyrinth first released in 1986, and stars David Bowie in the role of a goblin king named Jareth, who has kidnapped a teenager as a means to taunt a young woman through an elaborate gauntlet of challenges.

The Dark Crystal, in contrast, premiered in 1982 and centers on a series of puppets including the Gelfling Jen and the evil Skeksis tribe, who search for a shard from a crystal that controls the universe.

Both films serve as classic fantasy adventures of the 1980s, rife with nostalgia for anyone who grew up loving Henson’s extensive work.

Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal will be the first releases to come of the multi-picture deal, with a digital release slated across all major platforms as of February 6.

Physical copies and streaming deals are sure to follow, with Shout Studios decision-makers doing everything possible to distribute the classic fantasy films to as many eyes as possible.

The blueprint for this distribution has already been laid out by a previous agreement between the distributor and the Jim Henson Company.

Shout previously purchased the rights to the Emmy Award-winning series The Storyteller, as well as the Emmy-nominated Farscape.

As of now, both The Storyteller and Farscape are available to stream through Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, Sling TV, The Roku Channel, Crackle, and a host of other free streaming alternatives.

With any luck, Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal will soon follow and be available in a wide and easy-to-access capacity by the end of Spring 2024.

The Jim Henson Company’s Vice President of Global Distribution released a statement praising the distributor, citing excitement at the idea of a whole new generation of viewers getting to experience the creative artistry displayed by Jim Henson and company in the fantasy films.

Beyond works such as Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, Jim Henson’s long-held position as the godfather of modern puppetry has led to credits on such works as Apple TV+’s Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, MGM+’s The Portable Door, and the Oscar-winning Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio for Netflix.

With his work still reaching into new projects across the scope of cinema, it’s incredibly exciting to see some of Jim Henson’s seminal works receiving the love that they deserve.

Source: Deadline