Latest in Jim Henson Company

The National Association of Broadcasters kicked off the online version of its annual convention Wednesday with overtures to members hit hard by COVID-19 and a feel-good honor for Muppets creator Jim Henson. “We know this is likely the most challenging time local stations have ever encountered,” NAB president Gordon Smi…

Apple TV+ has the balm for a world that could some Fraggle-ing. The streamer is launching Fraggle Rock: Rock On! — a series of new, original mini-episodes starring the Muppets from the original 1980s series. Again starring Gobo, Red, Boober, Mokey, Wembley and Uncle Traveling Matt, the shortform blasts from the past…

Christoph Waltz, Guy Pearce and Patrick Gibson are attached to star in comedy-fantasy The Portable Door, which Arclight is launching at the EFM. In the family pic, a young man lands a job at a magical firm, only to find that its leaders are hiding darker motives. Muppets creator Jim Henson Company is…

The Jim Henson Company has acquired film rights to Hug Chickenpenny: The Panegyric of an Anomolous Child, the upcoming novel from Bone Tomahawk and Brawl in Cell Block 99 filmmaker S. Craig Zahler. He will direct the film version of his gothic, Dickensian take on The Elephant Man, which hits shelves next month. Zahler…

Amazon’s six new kids pilots are now available for streaming in the U.S., UK and Germany. Four animated pilots, The Adventures Of Knickerbock Teetertop, Lost In Oz, Lily The Unicorn, and Bear In Underwear; and  two live-action pilots, A History Of Radness and The Kicks are now available on Amazon Instant Video. The…

Coming off of five Daytime Emmy wins for its stop-motion adventure series Tumble Leaf, Amazon Studios has greenlit four new animated pilots and two live-action pilots for kids. Respectively, they are: The Adventures Of Knickerbock Teetertop, Lost In Oz, Lily The Unicorn, Bear In Underwear, A History Of Radness and The…

John Henson, son of the late Muppets creator Jim Henson, died Friday after suffering a sudden heart attack. He was 48. The Jim Henson Company confirmed his passing today on their official Facebook page. The youngest son of puppeteers Jim and Jane Henson, John Henson was a shareholder and board member of The Jim Henson…

BBC One has joined with The Jim Henson Company for That Puppet Game Show, a new comedy game series that has a few things in common with Henson’s original Muppet Show. The series is currently shooting and will occupy a primetime slot on Saturday nights beginning later this year. Each week, two celebrity guests – the…

The Jim Henson Company has acquired rights to the Frog And Toad children’s books and is developing an animated feature. Written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel in the 1970s, each of the four books include five short stories chronicling the exploits of a frog and his friend, a toad. Lisa Henson will produce for the Ji…

Deadline Comic-Con film correspondent Luke Y Thompson files: In a small-yet-packed room, all the way across the convention center and up the stairs from Hollywood’s big Hall H stuff, significant bits of film history were coming to light. After Archaia Entertainment CEO P.J. Bickett warmed up the crowd with a joke…

EXCLUSIVE: Guillermo del Toro, The Jim Henson Company and Pathe are ready to go on Pinocchio, a 3D stop motion animated adaptation of the Carlo Collodi fairy tale that will be edgier than the 1940 animated Disney classic. Gris Grimly will co-direct with Mark Gustafson, and production will begin later this year…