Scott Derrickson may not be directing one sequel – Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness will now be helmed by Sam Raimi – but he is directing another. He’s signed on to helm the sequel to 1986 fantasy movie, Labyrinth.
Maggie Levin (Into The Dark) will write the script. Derrickson will also executive produce with his frequent collaborator C. Robert Cargill, with whom he wrote Doctor Strange and horror film Sinister.
Jim Henson directed the original film which starred Jennifer Connelly as Sarah, who must journey to the centre of an enormous fantasy maze to rescue her younger brother, who she wished away to Jareth The Goblin King, played pretty memorably by David Bowie.
There’s currently no word on whether Connelly will return for the sequel, even though her presence would likely be key to the belated follow-up. During a different incarnation of the project, Alexander Skarsgard was poised to take over the role of the Goblin King from Bowie, but that may no longer be the case.
It’s possible the character doesn’t even return. With Bowie’s passing, perhaps producers feel it disrespectful to recast the role, and we could instead see a new antagonist for Connelly – or whoever – to battle.
It’s pretty surprising it’s taken this long for a Labyrinth sequel to begin coming together. The film is a cult classic, spawning tie-in novels, comic books, video games, and even an annual masquerade ball for fans. It’s likely the film’s popularity grows even stronger if this sequel is any sort of hit.
Derrickson usually resides in the horror genre, having directed The Exorcism Of Emily Rose and the aforementioned Sinister, but his work on Doctor Strange and some of its mind-bending scenes point to him as a good fit for this project. Now we wait and see if this incarnation of the Labyrinth sequel can begin propelling ahead, unlike the previous attempts.
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