Dark Crystal 2 - Meet the Makers

JMPrater

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watched it.....interesting.....I still want to see some images of puppets, behind the scenes footage, etc...
 

Jeffboy

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"It's SOMETHING" should be a Dark Crystal 2 / Muppet Central institution by now :wink:

I'm with Prater, we've had our hopes built up and dashed for almost 8 years now. Until there's physical evidence, I'm not going to get excited. Every time it seems like they're "getting it together" I imagine a board of directors looking at the rough draft and sneering.

It's a difficult sell. Dark Crystal was a financial flop. To agree to put that much money and effort into it, it's got to be a story worth telling. It's got to be amazing.
 

frogboy4

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Correction: Far From a "Flop"-

I kind of get sore when folk perpetuate the idea that the The Dark Crystal was any kind of flop. It wasn't!

Say what you must about expectations and disappointments, but the film reportedly cost $15 million and grossed $40 million domestically. This does not include foreign box office, the home video rental or sales market. If anything it was a mild disappointment. Labyrinth was the film that flopped. Its budget was around $25 million and it only grossed half that at the US box office.

The Dark Crystal is a few rungs above the cult classic status and is on the rise again. The same with Labyrinth. Actually, now Labyrinth is considered the more popular choice. Go figure. People expected Crystal to be Muppet movie and not something so dark. Fantasy films were a challenge to market in the 80's, but TDC fared quite well. It wasn't a runaway success like all of Jim's other work to that point.

Anyone can find box office estimates with a little bit of research and I suggest that is done before assigning an incorrect label. Thanks :scary:
 

Jeffboy

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Wow; was that really necessary?

Sorry if I've offended with my conjecture - I'm merely trying to justify (to myself maybe?) why it's taken so long. I feel like it's difficult to bring in a wide audience to a big budget sequel when the first was not exactly a blockbuster... all they while they've thrown out large figures and changed directors, I'm just trying to imagine what's going through the minds of the producers.
 

frogboy4

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Wow; was that really necessary?

Sorry if I've offended with my conjecture - I'm merely trying to justify (to myself maybe?) why it's taken so long. I feel like it's difficult to bring in a wide audience to a big budget sequel when the first was not exactly a blockbuster... all they while they've thrown out large figures and changed directors, I'm just trying to imagine what's going through the minds of the producers.
Forgive me if my previous post sounded personally pointed at you. It really wasn’t.

Incorrectly labeling a film a flop won't do anything to help the sequel get made. In fact, perpetuating that fallacy serves to make people believe it. Your claim isn’t the first time I’ve heard this so the best way to counteract that misconception is to speak directly to it. The Dark Crystal was a misunderstood film in its time, but it was still well loved and mildly profitable.

The reason why The Dark Crystal is having such trouble is because it’s an older property that was never wildly successful in the first place. The Jim Henson Company is very small and it’s hard for them to push anything into production. It requires them to partner up with other, larger companies that want to fund the project and maintain its integrity too. There is no Jim-factor anymore.

He had a way of smoothing things over and getting things made. It took unique vision, time and a lot of hard work. Those are rare items to be found in entertainment today. That’s what made Jim Henson such a genius. That’s why the Dark Crystal and Fraggle Rock films have been caught up in pre production. Sure, JHC could sell the idea to Fox or Sony and allow them to mangle the whole thing in a cheap ploy to turn these beloved nostalgic properties into instant cash, but they’re not doing that. They’re trying to create something both beautiful and commercially successful.

I get bewildered and frustrated too, but I’m also sure that JHC is doing all they can with what they have. I have long felt that the Henson Company has no true, focused leader. I could be wrong about that. I just don’t see them speaking with a solid voice like they used to under Jim or that other companies do either. :sympathy:
 

Drtooth

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I get bewildered and frustrated too, but I’m also sure that JHC is doing all they can with what they have. I have long felt that the Henson Company has no true, focused leader. I could be wrong about that. I just don’t see them speaking with a solid voice like they used to under Jim or that other companies do either. :sympathy:
That's the problem exactly. Look how close the Disney made Muppet film is into production, and it was only announced as a rumor a couple years ago (when did Forgetting Sarah Marshal come out?)... I'll say this. I no longer have any grudge against Disney owning the Muppets. On the contrary... I wish they got ALL of Henson now.

The only way these movies will actually get made is if some big name in the industry steps up and says, "You need some support?" Somehow the fact that 2 of the top movie screenwriters of the day are behind the Muppet project really seems to be giving it a push.

To be clear, the Fraggle Film is really being held up by Henson's faith in Weinstine, who now want them to change the script so they can save their little pathetic production company. They've Wembled over the script lone enough, and they NEED to give us a definite yes or no if the project has a future. As much as I'd like a DC2, I'd rather the Fraggles FINALLY get the movie they so richly deserved.

Secondly, flop or no flop, Disney made a Tron 2! 20 something years or more, a movie that wasn't all that successful if anything getting a sequel due at the end of the year. Of course, there is concern... let's not forget a LOT of these long awaited sequels annoy the crap out of the fans for some reason (Look at Indiana Jones 4... I enjoyed it).
 
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