Labyrinth (1986)

Directed by

Jim Henson

Genre

fantasy film, adventure film, musical film, children's film, coming-of-age film

Country

United Kingdom, United States

Runtime

1h 37m

Rated

PG

Rating

7.3 of 10 from 2,771 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A teenager named Sarah must navigate a magical maze to rescue her baby brother who was taken by the Goblin King. She encounters strange creatures and puzzles along the way.

whimsicaldreamlikemusicaladventurousplayfulquirkynostalgicemotional

What happens

Labyrinth is a 1986 musical fantasy film directed by Jim Henson from a screenplay by Terry Jones based on a story conceived by Henson and Dennis Lee. A co-production between Henson Associates and Lucasfilm with George Lucas serving as executive producer, the film stars Jennifer Connelly as teenager Sarah and David Bowie as Jareth, and follows Sarah's journeys through a maze to save her baby brother from the Goblin King. Labyrinth started as a collaboration between Henson and Brian Froud following their previous collaboration The Dark Crystal (1982). Jones of Monty Python wrote the first draft of the film's script early in 1984, drawing on Froud's sketches for inspiration. The screenplay underwent several revisions by Laura Phillips, Lucas, Lee, and Elaine May—although Jones received the film's sole screenwriting credit. It was shot from April to September 1985 on location in Upper Nyack, Piermont, and Haverstraw, New York, and at Elstree Studios and West Wycombe Park in the United Kingdom. The film's fantastical creatures were designed by Froud and created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. The New York Times reported that Labyrinth had a budget of $25 million. The film underperformed at the United States box office, grossing $12.9 million during its US theatrical run. However, it was a success in the United Kingdom and overseas, grossing over $34 million worldwide. Labyrinth was first met with a mixed critical response upon its release, which contributed to a difficult period of Henson's career, according to his son Brian Henson. It was the last feature film that Henson directed, and over the years it has been re-evaluated by many critics. A success on home video and television broadcasts, Labyrinth has gained a large cult following. The film has been adapted into a variety of media, including books, video games, board games and comics. Tokyopop published a four-volume comic sequel Return to Labyrinth between 2006 and 2010, and Archaia Entertainment published a comic prequel Labyrinth: Coronation between 2018 and 2019. In January 2016, it was announced that a sequel was in development. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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