When David Bowie passed away last year, many of us revisited his ground-breaking music - there was even an impromptu street party in Brixton, the area of London where he grew up. But some of us also took the opportunity to re-watch what has probably become his most popular film, 1986's Labyrinth. In this Jim Henson-directed musical fantasy, a young Jennifer Connelly is given 13 hours to rescue her brother from a magical maze after he's kidnapped by Bowie's hairspray-hogging baddie, the Goblin King.
Labyrinth wasn't a runaway success at the time, but it's since been acknowledged as a bit of a cult classic. It's also become one of those films that everyone seems to have watched (and very possibly been scared by) as a child.
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And now, because nothing is ever sacred in Hollywood, a new Labyrinth movie is in the works. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it's "not a remake nor a reboot," but a "continuation" of the original film - in other words, a sequel. But wait, come back! It isn't all bad. Fede Álvarez, who made last year's excellent horror film Don't Breathe, is directing the sequel, and Lisa Henson, daughter of the late Jim Henson, is serving as a producer.
There's more reassuring news, too: an insider has told The Hollywood Reporter that "the Goblin King will not be represented in the film," meaning no one's going to be hired to do a ropey Bowie impression. So, overall, there's enough evidence to feel cautiously optimistic about this new Labyrinth - even if we doubt it features a song as low-key classic as "Magic Dance."
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