Henson Biopic A Possibility

EMPIREFILMGROUP.COM: Empire acquires rights to Jim Henson screenplay
Empire has scheduled the film for production in late summer with a $30 million budget
February 4, 2008

Empire Film Group, Inc. has acquired the motion picture production and distribution rights to "Henson," an original screenplay by Robert D. Slane that chronicles the life and achievements of Muppets creator, Jim Henson. Empire has pegged the film for production in late summer with a $30 million budget to be funded through a consortium of international presales and co-production partners.

"This is a major project about an entertainer of legendary stature and worldwide acclaim," said Dean Hamilton-Bornstein, CEO of Empire Film Group. "The script is superb and should provide a terrific roadmap for a completed film that will satisfy both mainstream audiences and critics. We're very excited about this acquisition and the commercial caliber of this project."

"Henson" covers the life of puppeteer, filmmaker and entertainment mogul Jim Henson, from his early fascination with television as a teenager, through his spectacular career and life achievements. Empire anticipates hiring a major director, such as Penny Marshall, and hopes to attract notable star cast in key roles. Bornstein will act as Executive Producer, with Empire Home Entertainment President Eric Parkinson producing the film along with Xavier Mitchell.

"Jim Henson is one of the best known and most beloved entertainers of all time," said Parkinson. "His story is inspiring, tragic, heartwarming and epic, and will make for an important and entertaining motion picture. This is the sort of movie that Empire will be pursuing as we build the company into a leading independent studio."

Learn more about Empire Film Group by visiting www.empirefilmgroup.com.

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Sounds great to me! I'd love to see a good film about Jim Henson. His work has been languishing for years, and a well-made biography might help inspire a new generation of puppeteers.

Fraggle Rock Making-Of Book On The Way

MUPPETCENTRAL.COM: New behind-the-scenes book to celebrate Fraggle Rock
By Greg James, Muppet Central - January 22, 2008

Insight Editions is a publishing company known for creating unique art and photography books that celebrate iconic artists, films, television series and other entertainment franchises. Their award-winning collector's books have covered such topics as the art of Star Wars, Shrek, Hannah-Barbara, and Brian Froud.

Several sources at Insight Editions have informed me that the company is planning to release a deluxe book on the art and magic of "Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock" and, after talking to several representatives at Insight Editions, here's some early information on this release.

The book will showcase the art, magic and vision of Jim Henson's beloved series by celebrating and showcasing the unique and imaginative world of Fraggle Rock. This book will include hundreds of rare drawings, concept artwork, storyboard images, production photos, and other treasures from the studio archives and private collections. This giant "coffee table book" will be a visual feast for any Fraggle fan. The book is said to include hundreds of beautiful color illustrations, photos and artwork from the making of Fraggle Rock along with behind-the-scenes comments, notes and other insights.

The gigantic hardcover book will retail for around $34.95 and will quickly become a prized possession of any Fraggle fan. More details on this comprehensive book are sure to surface as the release of draws closer.

This beautiful book is planned to hit store shelves on September 30, 2008, just around the same time that the final season of Fraggle Rock makes its way onto DVD.

Other fan-favorite Henson collector's books over the years include Jim Henson The Works (1993), Of Muppets and Men (1981), Sesame Street Unpaved (1998) and Jim Henson's Creature Shop No Strings Attached (1997).

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I'll be sure to pick this up, too! You can pre-order it at Amazon for $23.07 + shipping.

More Muppet Madness Coming To DVD

MUPPETCENTRAL.COM: The Muppet Show Season 3 arrives May 20
Disney plans to release the Season Three 4-Disc Set of The Muppet Show nine months after Season Two
By Greg James, Muppet Central - January 25, 2008

It's time to play the music. It's time to light the lights. It's time to mark your calendars!

Buena Vista Home Entertainment has just announced the release of the highly anticipated "The Muppet Show: Season Three" DVD box set. The four-disc "special edition" set will include all 24 episodes from the third season of "The Muppet Show" along with an impressive collection of bonus features. The fully-loaded DVD box set of the complete third season is planned to hit store shelves on May 20, 2008. That's less than 117 days away.

Below is a full list of the DVD features which include the classic 1968 documentary "The Muppets on Puppets" (hosted by Jim Henson and Rowlf the Dog), plus a new documentary entitled "The Making of The Muppets". Disney has also released an early glimpse at the cover art for the set, featuring the face of Fozzie Bear. Like the first two seasons, the set will feature collectible fuzzy packaging.

Episode Listing:

• Kris Kristofferson & Rita Coolidge
• Leo Sayer
• Roy Clark
• Gilda Radner
• Pearl Bailey
• Jean Stapleton
• Alice Cooper
• Loretta Lynn
• Liberace
• Marisa Berenson
• Raquel Welch
• James Coco
• Helen Reddy
• Harry Belafonte
• Lesley Ann Warren
• Danny Kaye
• Spike Milligan
• Leslie Uggams
• Elke Sommer
• Sylvester Stallone
• Roger Miller
• Roy Rogers & Dale Evans
• Lynn Redgrave
• Cheryl Ladd

Bonus Features:
• "The Making of The Muppets" documentary
• "The Muppets on Puppets" vintage documentary
• ...and much more!

Retail Specifications:
• 4-disc DVD collection
• $39.99 suggested retail price
• Release date: May 20, 2008

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Sweet! You can pre-order the set at Amazon for $35.99 and free shipping. Buy it today and keep those box sets coming... there's three more seasons to go!

Muppet Junkie? You've Got A Whopping Fix Coming

Season Three of Fraggle Rock will be released on Sept. 11th for $34.27 + shipping, and Sesame Street: Old School Vol. 2 is coming out Nov. 6th for $24.71 + shipping. Sweet! Hopefully we can get more skits with discarded characters like Roosevelt Franklin...

Thanks to Muppet Central for the news!

Jarrod Boutcher, Awesome Puppet Builder

Take a gander at Jarrod's website, packed with awesome Muppet and Avenue Q replicas that he makes for fun, as well as original creations. You can even custom-design a puppet yourself, and pay him to make it! I'm sure they're not cheap, but it looks like they're totally worth it.

Thanks to Muppet Central for the info!