Jim Henson was sad when Labyrinth flopped at the box office.
Henson’s 1986 fantasy-family flick was visually groundbreaking as it combined large-scale physical sets, cutting-edge animatronics, puppetry, and force-perspective to bring its enchanted world to life.
Jim Henson “Shaken”
Although it did well in the UK and overseas, bringing in over $34 million worldwide, it bombed at the US box office. The film grossed $12.9 million on a $24 million budget. It was first met with mixed reactions, which left Jim “shaken.”
Dave Goelz, 79, a puppeteer on Labyrinth, told The Guardian, “Jim was deeply disappointed by the response. I had lunch with him in LA after the release of Labyrinth.”
“I could see that he was not his usual self. He was shaken because he had always followed his beacon, and it had always been true. [Jim] was shocked that he wasn’t in sync with his audience. He said, ‘You know what my favorite part of this whole thing was? When we laughed.'”
Critics Slamming the Film
To add salt to the wound, some critics slammed the movie, which stars David Bowie as Jareth, the king of the goblins. Jareth promises Sarah Williams (Jennifer Connelly) the return of her baby brother, Toby Williams (Toby Froud), if she can solve his labyrinth.
Jim’s son Brian Henson, 62, who voiced and was one of the puppeteers of Hoggle, was “furious” when a newspaper “accused the film of shamelessly abusing children where Bowie is throwing a baby in the air.”
He added, “This was just old-fashioned comedy. Everybody knows that’s not really the baby.”
Cult Classic Today
Now 40 years on, Labyrinth is a cult classic. The film has now transformed into comics, video games, and board games.
And Brian wishes Jim were alive to see the film get the response he had always hoped for. Henson died from toxic shock syndrome due to a bacterial infection in May 1990. He was just 53 years old.
He said, “My dad didn’t live long enough to see the rebound that came with its video release. It’s unique. It’s got a little bit of The Rocky Horror Picture Show camp rock’n’roll in it, and yet it delivers as a deep fantasy. People just love it.”
Brian Froud, 79, conceptual and costume designer on Labyrinth, sees moms and daughters dress up as Sarah at fan conventions.
He said, “I’ve been to some conventions for Labyrinth, and you see this wonderful relationship between mothers and daughters – the girls come dressed in Sarah’s ballroom dress, and the mothers come in her jeans, waistcoat and big shirt.”
“What we discovered over the years is how people, especially girls, really respond to it. It’s a very emotional journey for them, it speaks to them of their place in the world, and that transition of moving from girlhood into womanhood.”
Lasting Impressions
Karen Prell, 66, a puppeteer for the Worm, Firey 2, and the Junk Lady, is glad that even more people now have a special place in their hearts for Labyrinth.
She said, “I wish Jim was still around to see how much people have embraced the movie. At least now they are appreciating it and making all that hard work worthwhile. Hopefully, it inspires more young puppeteers.”
A sequel to Labyrinth was announced in 2025. Brian, his sister Lisa Henson, 66, Chris Columbus, 67, and his daughter Eleanor Columbus, 36, are producing, and Nosferatu director Robert Eggers, 42, is at the helm.