When Entertainment Weekly first caught wind that writer Nicole Perlman had pitched plans for a continuation of Jim Henson’s beloved fantasy classic Labyrinth, fans of the 1986 original immediately assumed the worst – voicing their opinions loud and clear on Twitter and other social channels.
Revisiting a cult classic in some shape or form so often leads to an impassioned backlash, though Perlman (co-writer on Guardians of the Galaxy) recently posted a series of Tweets confirming that the nascent Labyrinth sequel is neither a remake nor a reboot and, crucially, talk was well underway long before the tragic passing of music and cultural icon David Bowie.
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
Not “rebooting” anything, guys.
— Nicole Perlman (@Uncannygirl) January 23, 2016
Such an angle could potentially mean revisiting the world spawned by Henson’s original free from the reign of Bowie’s Goblin King Jareth. Arguably stealing the show in the ’86 cult hit, David Bowie starred opposite a youthful Jennifer Connolly, who was forced to venture into the titular maze in order to rescue her missing brother. Star Wars creator George Lucas produced the beloved original.
In light of Perlman’s Tweets, exactly which direction TriStar will explore with this planned Labyrinth sequel is anyone’s guess. Evidently the creative team plan to respect Bowie and his delightfully manic character, which could pave the way for a prequel or some form of adjacent tale rooted in Henson’s fantastical universe. Time will tell, of course, but for now, let us know your opinion via the comments section below.