Claim: The Jim Henson Company has announced development of a sequel to the 1986 film Labyrinth.
Example: [Collected via email, November 2013]
"Labyrinth 2 return of the goblin king is rumored to be released soon but I can't find a release date anywhere and it's floating around facebook like wild fire.. Is this a rumor? or can all of the Jim Henson lovers of the world get stoked about the upcoming Labyrinth 2?!"
Origins: On 9 October 2014, a rumor began circulating via social media that the Jim Henson Company was working on
It's also working on a quartet of legacy titles in the Henson
Variety updated the article on 13 October 2014 to clarify the above-quoted sentence:
Henson Co. is working on a project based on Labyrinth, but it is not a sequel.
But that correction didn't kill the rumor, because in November 2014 a fake movie poster for
That movie poster was a private mockup for the not-in-the-works
In January 2016, Variety reported that Sony had closed a deal with the Jim Henson Co. to produce what was described as a Labyrinth "reboot" (rather than a sequel):
Lisa Henson of the Henson Co. will produce the project. "Guardians of the Galaxy" co-writer Nicole Perlman will write the script. The original musical fantasy movie, released in 1986, starred a 15-year-old Jennifer Connelly as the protagonist who has to navigate a maze to save her infant brother, who had been kidnapped by a goblin king — played by David Bowie, who recorded five songs for the film. Tri-Star's Nicole Brown will oversee the new "Labyrinth" for the studio.
Sony is developing a reboot of "Labyrinth," the final movie directed by Jim Henson, and has closed a deal with the Jim Henson Co. to produce the film with Sony's TriStar division.
However, EW then confusingly reported that "the new 'Labyrinth' film will be a sequel to the original, not a reboot."
Shortly afterwards, screenwriter Nicole Perlman fostered even more uncertainty when she tweeted to say that "no one is remaking 'Labyrinth'" and suggested that a "continuation" of the film was in the works:
Guys, please don't fall for all the clickbait. No one is remaking "Labyrinth." That movie is perfect as it is.
— Nicole Perlman (@Uncannygirl) January 24, 2016
Labyrinth is my favorite film from childhood, so I share your concerns that any continuation of the world be handled with love and respect.
— Nicole Perlman (@Uncannygirl) January 23, 2016
Henson Co & I started talking in late 2014, so the timing of these rumors is so upsetting. I would never seek to profit from Bowie's death.
— Nicole Perlman (@Uncannygirl) January 23, 2016
So what's next in the Labyrinth realm: a sequel, a reboot, or a continuation? The answer remains unclear.
The original Labyrinth was something of a box office bust when it was released in 1986 but has built a cult following over the years thanks to Jim Henson's amazing puppetry and a flamboyant performance by the Goblin King, David Bowie:
Last updated: 6 February 2016
 | Sources: |
Bahr,Lindsey. "'Labyrinth' Sequel in the Works? Not Exactly." Entertainment Weekly 13 November 2014. Lussier, Germain. "Movie Posters for Sequels That Never Happened." Slash Film. 11 November 2014. McNary, David. "Billy Crystal Joins Henson Co.'s 'Which Witch.'" Variety. 9 October 2014. McNary, David. "Sony Rebooting Jim Henson's 'Labyrinth.'" Variety. 22 January 2016.