Ron Howard Directing Documentary About Muppets Creator Jim Henson
A Beautiful Mind director Ron Howard is making a documentary about the beloved creator of The Muppets, Jim Henson, for Disney+. Although The Muppet Show only lasted for five seasons from 1976 to 1981, the series' wacky characters left an indelible mark on pop culture and continue to spawn films, television shows, holiday specials, and more. Even the most minor of Henson's roster of Muppet creations have an ardent fan base, evidenced by the spinoff of Doctor Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, also coming soon to the streaming giant.
News of the documentary comes from Gizmodo. Howard is reportedly making the documentary with full participation from the Henson family. Henson passed suddenly in 1990 at the age of 53 and left behind a trove of "never-before-seen personal archives including exclusive home movies, photographs, sketches, and personal diaries," which will be incorporated into the film. The documentary promises to give an intimate look into Henson's life and creative process. The Henson family had this to say about the project:
"The Jim Henson Company’s archive is a treasure reflecting our father’s work, personal life, and inspirations, and has been carefully maintained for the last 30 years under the leadership of archivist Karen Falk. It will be thrilling to see the story that emerges from these materials in the hands of a truly great filmmaker like Ron Howard, who has the perfect spirit and personality to tell Jim Henson’s story."
Beyond The Muppets, Henson has no shortage of work and characters that have touched the lives and imaginations of millions of viewers. One needs to look no further than Sesame Street, which has been on the air for over fifty years. The untitled Muppets documentary is still in the early stages of development, so no release date has yet been set, but it joins the Henson biopic Muppet Man, also in development at Disney, a project that has been kicking around for years and will focus on his struggles to bring The Muppets to television.
Source: Gizmodo