Labyrinth (1986 film)

Labyrinth
Theatrical release poster by Ted CoConis
Directed byJim Henson
Screenplay byTerry Jones
Story by
Produced byEric Rattray
Starring
CinematographyAlex Thomson
Edited byJohn Grover
Music byTrevor Jones
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • June 27, 1986 (1986-06-27) (United States)
  • December 2, 1986 (1986-12-02) (UK)
Running time
101 minutes[2]
Countries
  • United Kingdom[3]
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$25 million
Box office$34 million

Labyrinth is a 1986 musical fantasy film directed by Jim Henson with George Lucas as executive producer. Based on conceptual designs by Brian Froud, the film was written by Terry Jones, and many of its characters are played by puppets produced by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. The film stars Jennifer Connelly as 16-year-old Sarah and David Bowie as Jareth, the Goblin King. In Labyrinth, Sarah embarks on a quest to reach the center of an enormous, otherworldly maze to rescue her infant half-brother Toby, whom she wished away to Jareth.

The film started as a collaboration between Henson and Froud following their previous collaboration The Dark Crystal (1982). Terry Jones of Monty Python wrote the first draft of the film's script early in 1984, drawing on Froud's sketches for inspiration. Various other scriptwriters rewrote it and added to it, including Laura Phillips, Lucas, Dennis 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 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,[4] which screenwriter Nicole Perlman described as more of a "spin-off" in the same fictional universe.[5]

  1. ^ "Labyrinth". British Board of Film Classification. August 4, 2020. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  2. ^ "Labyrinth (PG)". British Board of Film Classification. June 24, 1986. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  3. ^ "Labyrinth (1986)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Reboot was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Tan, Monica (January 25, 2016). "'No one is remaking Labyrinth' – screenwriter denies reports of reboot". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 25, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2016.