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May 9, 2025 159 mins

"Everything I've done, I've done for you. I move the stars for no one.”

After the release of THE DARK CRYSTAL — and its critical and commercial failure — Jim Henson and his collaborator on that project, illustrator Brian Froud, went back to the drawing board for their next ambitious fantasy project.

Utilizing the lessons that they’d learned on that film, they looked to craft another story with the same amount of imagination, but with more humor, more heart, more music and… more humans.

The resulting film, LABYRINTH, was not much more well-received at the time of its release, but like its predecessor, it’s gone on to become a beloved film, one that’s now considered a classic and one of the creative pinnacles of Henson’s career.

In this episode, we tell down the full story of how LABYRINTH was made, from its original concept, to the dozens of script drafts that it went through during its development, to the casting of David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly (and the actors who almost got the parts instead), and all of the innovative puppetry and creature creation that brought it to life.

Want to support the show? Subscribers of CinemaShock+ can enjoy an extended version of this episode, which includes bonus segments and additional content, plus get access to all episodes two days early, exclusive merchandise discounts, and more. Join now at cinemashock.net/plus.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:

Andrew C. | Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Yates | Caverly | Curt M. | Elton Novara | Interzone78 | Jackson_Baker | Justin V. | Lucy Lawson | Nate Izod | Nathan Kelley | qoheleth | Robert Stinson

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

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