There’s an old, stereotypical saying which opines that some things are sacred. Many would argue that one such “sacred” film is Labyrinth, the 1986 classic directed by Jim Henson and starring David Bowie. But Hollywood is rather famous for throwing such ideas out the window. In other words: buckle up, kids, we’re getting a Labyrinth sequel!
Some obvious concerns may immediately arise. Jim Henson, director and creative mind behind The Muppets, passed away in 1990. And David Bowie, who played the deeply memorable antagonistic Goblin King, passed away in 2016. But production studio TriStar Pictures has decreed there shall be a sequel. And Robert Eggers—the filmmaker behind Nosferatu, The Lighthouse, and The Witch—will both write and direct it.
More obvious concerns may now arise. Robert Eggers is one of the strongest horror voices in modern American cinema. So are we all collectively misremembering Labyrinth? Is Labyrinth a horror film? Are we all confusing it with Pan’s Labyrinth again?
Friends, we are not confusing it with Pan’s Labyrinth again. Labyrinth is a fantasy musical, and “spoopy” at best. And while we’re at it, why do we need a sequel to a forty-year-old movie, anyway?
Please let a classic rest in peace
TriStar Pictures has been trying to get a Labyrinth going since at least 2017—and the film’s been in pre-production hell for those eight years. The first director known to be attached was Evil Dead (2013) and Alien: Romulus‘s Fede Álvarez, who told press in 2018 that the sequel had a full draft of a script. Next, Doctor Strange and The Black Phone director Scott Derrickson signed on 2020.
Both directors, particularly Derrickson, talked about tension arising between the director and the studio over the script and what tone the film should take. That’s likely why both directors left the project. Now that a third director has signed on and will be starting the script from scratch again, you’re left to wonder—what kind of tone is TriStar looking for? If they’re looking to create something in line with what Jim Henson served up, patience-driven horror auteur extraordinaire Robert Eggers isn’t exactly who comes to mind.
Sure, an Eggers Labyrinth could be interesting. It would be very, very different than the original. But the extreme difference could maybe work if TriStar doesn’t get in the way and lets Eggers do his thing. But history indicates that TriStar has, indeed, been getting in the way. And all of these issues arise before you get to one of the other big issues: Jennifer Connolly is still around to play an adult version of her character, but replacing David Bowie is a unenviable task, to say the least.
Eight years of disputes (and counting) raise a huge red flag. Perhaps all of these disagreements are a sign that Labyrinth was not meant to have a sequel. And that’s before you even factor in that the phrase “sequel fatigue” is slowly starting to creep into the pop culture lexicon. Maybe we should leave the classics alone.
Published: Jan 23, 2025 05:23 pm