Scott Derrickson signs on to Helm Labyrinth sequel
After exiting the highly-anticipated Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness earlier this year, director Scott Derrickson has found his next project in the form of a sequel to the David Bowie-starring cult classic Labyrinth, according to Deadline.
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The original film, which hit theaters in 1986, focused on a 16-year-old girl named Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) as she sets out on a quest to reach the center of the titular otherworldly maze to rescue her infant brother Toby from Jareth the Goblin King (Bowie), whom she wished him away to. It was a box office failure upon release while receiving a fairly warm reception from critics and would go on to become a cult classic in the years since, spawning tie-in novels, video games, perennial screenings and an annual fan masquerade ball.
A sequel to the film was originally announced in 2016 with Nicole Perlman (Detective Pikachu) set to pen the script alongside Jay Basu and Fede Álvarez (Don’t Breathe) attached to direct, but after languishing in development hell, that project was shelved, with the new project being a different take on the concept.
The new sequel is set to be penned by Maggie Levin, who wrote and directed Into the Dark and My Valentine for Hulu, with Lisa Henson of The Jim Henson Company set to produce while Brian Henson will executive produce alongside Derrickson and his frequent collaborator C. Robert Cargill.
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Derrickson began making a name for himself in the horror world early in his career, helping co-write Urban Legends: Final Cut and co-writing and directing the direct-to-video Hellraiser: Inferno before making his big screen directorial debut with The Exorcism of Emily Rose. He would continue with the fan-favorite 2012 hit Sinister and 2014 box office hit Deliver Us From Evil before trying his hand at the blockbuster genre with the 2016 Marvel Cinematic Universe smash Doctor Strange. He was set to return as co-writer and director for its upcoming sequel, but after reported creative differences between him and Marvel Studios, he exited the project with Sam Raimi (Spider-Man trilogy) taking over the reigns.
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)