Jim Henson is one of the most creative minds of the 20th century. The puppeteer and filmmaker is responsible for The Muppets and some of Sesame Street‘s most beloved characters. Not to mention, of course, directing the masterpieces The Dark Crystal (which he co-directed with Frank Oz) and Labyrinth. And now the legend is the subject of an upcoming documentary by Ron Howard for Disney.
The documentary, which Deadline first reported, will explore Henson’s life and career. And Howard is making it with the full support of Henson’s family. The still untitled documentary “will follow how the brilliant innovator came to shape the childhoods of generations to come.”
While the press release doesn’t indicate when the documentary will release, it promises to be the “definitive portrait” of the beloved creator. This is what we should expect from the documentary:
[The film]will present a fascinating and intimate look at Jim’s illustrious career creating treasured characters and revolutionizing television and film. With never-before-seen personal archives, the film will give audiences an exciting first-person view into the life of one of the world’s most inspiring and iconoclastic creators through exclusive home movies, photographs, sketches and Henson’s personal diaries.
Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Documentaries will produce the documentary for Disney Original Documentary. The puppeteer and filmmaker, who died in 1990 at age 53, has left a lasting legacy. And we’re so excited to see revisit his life and career in documentary form. It’s all the sweeter knowing Howard and the documentary has the Henson family’s backing.
Per Deadline, the Henson family released a statement of support for the documentary, saying:
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.
Howard, who won the best director documentary for A Beautiful Mind, is a prolific documentary director in addition to his feature films. Most notably, he directed The Beatles: Eight Days a Week, which earned BAFTA and Primetime Emmy nominations.
We don’t yet know when and where we’ll see the film.
