It appears puppets are making a comeback, thanks in large part to director James Bobin and songwriter Bret McKenzie. The two were instrumental in the triumphant big screen return of The Muppets, a venture made all the more sweet by McKenzie’s Best Original Song Oscar win for the film’s ballad, “Man or Muppet.” Naturally, Bobin and the Flight of the Conchords musician reteamed for the upcoming sequel, Muppets Most Wanted, but news of a future endeavor suggests even more involvement with felted cast members.
During an interview with Collider, McKenzie revealed that he and Bobin are developing a new fairy tale fantasy musical similar to the cult children’s classic Labyrinth — and, as if that weren’t enough to throw ’80s and ’90s kids into a nostalgic frenzy, he added that it also draws inspiration from The Muppets and The Princess Bride. He’s still working on the script with Bobin, but was kind enough to expand on plans for the untitled film, saying that he wants it to be a live-action comedy musical with “singing dragons and monsters and stuff.”
The use of live-action over computer animation, as well as the mention of Labyrinth, makes the project seem like a return to the glory days of ambitious Jim Henson fantasy features, including The Dark Crystal. Considering how strongly those have held up, McKenzie and Bobin could be well on their way to another hit.
What do you think of Bobin and McKenzie’s new project? Are you fan of movies like Labyrinth and Princess Bride?