Fans of ‘80s cult film “The Dark Crystal” may hang their heads in sorrow today, as it looks as if the decades long development hell for The Jim Henson Company’s sequel to the 1982 fantasy epic helmed by Henson and Frank Oz has taken a bad turn once again.
For awhile there things where looking mostly positive, as back in May 2010 it was reported that “Daybreakers” co-directors Peter and Michael Spierig where starting pre-production on the sequel entitled “The Power of the Dark Crystal,” and would be utilizing CGI and the 3D format. While the choice of the Spierigs was an awful one, especially over the much more capable animation director and fan supported Genndy Tartakovsky, many folks just seemed happy they’d finally get to see the Gelfings embarking on another adventure.
Well now production house Omnilab Media is said to be parting ways with The Jim Henson Company on the project, after managing director Christoper Mapp told Australian periodical IF Magazine late last year that the project would “sit for a period of time and we’d talk again sometime in 2012.” Looks like those talks didn’t go so well, as Omnilab appears to be cutting financing to the project, perhaps after the financial failure of their recent Clive Owen, Robert De Niro action vehicle “The Killer Elite.” Maybe they’re looking to cut spending on projects with a considerable budget, and this certainly appeared to be one that wouldn't be cheap.
The Spierig Brothers have also moved onto another project by the name of “Jungle,” which is based on the true story of young Australian Yossi Ghinsberg’s survival amidst the Amazon jungle. Truthfully, “The Dark Crystal” still holds up well as a fantasy epic, but there’s no telling what the guys who made the overly complicated and brutally dull “Daybreakers” would have done with this tale. This could be for the better, so maybe fans should just return to their special edition copies of “The Dark Crystal” on DVD for now.
