Labyrinth, the 1986 fantasy film starring David Bowie, is set to be rebooted as a potential new film franchise, with Guardians of the Galaxy co-writer Nicole Perlman writing the script.
The film, which co-starred American actress Jennifer Connelly as a babysitter who must make her way across a danger-strewn maze to save her baby brother from the clutches of Jareth the Goblin King, arguably the movie role for which the late singer and occasional film star is best known.
The original movie was last the final feature film directed by puppeteer Jim Henson, working from a script by Monty Python’s Terry Jones. And while even George Lucas acted as executive producer on the project, the film was a flop at the box office at the time of its release. In the intervening years, Labyrinth has become a beloved cult classic.
Perlman, who chose to adapt the relatively unknown Guardians of the Galaxy when enrolled in Marvel’s screenwriting programme in 2009 is seen as instrumental to the comic-book movie’s mammoth box-office draw, took to Twitter to explain that timing of the project is purely coincidental.
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
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
Perlman is also looking to adapt another comic-book character, having been tasked by Marvel to bring its first female-led movie to the big screen in the shape of Captain Marvel. The writer will be sharing responsibilities on the project with Me LeFauve, the Oscar-nominated writer of Disney-Pixar's Inside Out.
