Two ’80s Fantasy Classics Get Awesome Upgrades
Shout Studios is bringing two of Jim Henson’s iconic movies back to life, 1982’s The Dark Crystal and 1986’s Labyrinth. The studio is making both movies available digitally for the first time since it acquired the rights. However, both releases, coming from the Muppets creator, are getting a ton of additional content in terms of commentary, behind-the-scenes, and original trailers.
Available To Purchase Next Month With Bonus Features
Shout Studio has announced that both The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth will become available to rent and purchase digitally beginning next month. It’s worth noting that both movies have been available both digitally and on physical media in the past, but this is the first re-release since Shout acquired the rights. Both movies received mixed responses upon their original release but earned more positive reviews in later years, gaining a cult following, mostly thanks to their darker tones and unique puppet creations.
The Dark Crystal
Both The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth are fine additions to Shout Studios’ lineup of cult classics. The former was released in 1982 as the first feature-length film directed by Jim Henson. In fact, it was Henson’s first release that didn’t focus on his most famous creation, the legendary Muppets.
The Dark Crystal follows a protagonist who must travel to heal the great Crystal of Truth in order to save the land of Thra from the evil Skeksis. As stated above, the movie wasn’t really commercially successful, but it did eventually lead to the creation of Labyrinth.
Labyrinth
Labyrinth premiered four years after The Dark Crystal, in 1986, and centered on Sarah, a girl who must race against time to save her baby brother from the horrible Goblin King, portrayed by none other than David Bowie. The music superstar also composed a number of tracks for the film, including “Underground” and “Magic Dance,” the latter of which he subsequently released as a single.
Special Features Available On Digital Release
We previously stated that both The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth are also supposed to receive a ton of additional extra material. This isn’t a novelty regarding re-releases, anniversary editions, or director’s cuts. However, the extra material is usually associated with physical releases such as Blu-ray or DVDs (yes, those still exist). But, with physical media now going extinct—and the same thing can be said for theatrical releases—studios are most likely to bundle extra content with their digital release.
Digital Releases Available February 6
In the case of both The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, the aforementioned extra content, which contains commentary, various trailers, behind-the-scenes footage, and so on, will be reserved for iTunes users alone.
Both films will be featured on numerous streaming and digital platforms, and at this time, it’s unknown whether Apple signed an exclusive deal with Shout for the extra content or we’re discussing a timed exclusive, with extra content appearing on other platforms in the future. The former is the most likely option, but it’s fun to imagine a world in which consumers still have a choice.
Both The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth will be available as digital releases on various platforms on February 6.
