While Best Buy is busy committing a cardinal sin by removing Blu-rays and DVDs from its brick-and-mortar stores, Shout! Studios are securing exclusive rights to Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, and other Jim Henson Company library titles. What does this mean for Henson’s fantasy classics? Let’s dig into the details of the deal before we start dancing like the Goblin King, shall we?
According to Deadline‘s exclusive report, The pact between Shout! Studios and the Jim Henson Company grants Shout! exclusive rights to the titles in streaming, video-on-demand, broadcast, digital download, and all packaged media, as well as limited non-theatrical rights. The deal also covers exclusivity for behind-the-scenes specials, including Inside the Labyrinth and The World of the Dark Crystal.
To celebrate this exciting acquisition, Shout! Studios will release Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal digitally across all platforms on February 6, 2024.
“Jim Henson was a prolific and deeply creative artist, innovating both filmmaking and puppetry with these iconic fantasy films that have come to define the genre over the decades since their release,” said Kerry Novick, who serves as Vice President of Global Distribution at The Jim Henson Company. “With our new partner Shout! Studios, fans will easily be able to enjoy The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth and their respective making-of specials, and new audiences around the world will be introduced to these seminal titles that are such an important part of Jim Henson’s legacy.”
“We are very excited about the new opportunity with The Jim Henson Company. Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal are timeless fantasy movie adventures that captivate audiences around the world. It is truly remarkable to see these two movies and their extraordinary characters enchant a new generation of pop culture fans,” Melissa Boag, Shout! Studios’ Executive Vice President, Kids & Family Entertainment, added.
Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal are timeless fantasy classics, featuring some of the era’s most innovative puppetry and practical effects. Labyrinth focuses on Sarah Williams (Jennifer Connelly) as she navigates the labyrinth of the Goblin King Jareth (David Bowie) in search of her little brother Toby. The film features mind-boggling puppetry, beloved characters (shout out to my furry boy Ludo), hypnotic songs, and imagination beyond measure. Meanwhile, The Dark Crystal is a gripping and chilling tale of survival set on the faraway planet of Thra, where sinister Skeksis lurk and the Gelfling population stands on the brink of destruction.
Are you excited about Shout! Studios acquiring the exclusive rights to the Jim Henson Company library? As a fan who went to the theatrical re-release of Labyrinth years ago, I’m hyped for the prospect of Henson’s fantasy classics getting the platform they rightly deserve.