We’re a big fan of fantasy movies at The Digital Fix. In fact, we spend a lot of time obsessing over Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and the like. But we think some of the most perfect fantasy adventures can be traced back even further. One that’s always stood out as being head and shoulders above the rest is Labyrinth.
Regarded as a puppetry masterpiece from the man behind The Muppets, Labyrinth also served as a glimmering David Bowie vehicle. (Those trousers, though.) The movie follows the journey of Sarah, a human girl who travels to another world to rescue her baby brother Toby from the Goblin King.
Crazy creatures and fantastical sets occupy the space of this mind-bending imaginary world, and today is a good a day to celebrate it as any, because it marks an anniversary for what we think is one of the best adventure movies ever made.
As of today, the movie was released 37 years ago, having come out on June 27, 1986. That sounds like too long ago, right? …Right?! Even so, we still think the movie, from its story to its visuals, holds up pretty well against today’s standards. And it still could be considered as one of the best movies of all time.
The story of how the movie came about is quite an unforgettable one. Back in the ’80s, fantasy illustrator Brian Froud and Muppets mastermind Jim Henson wanted to work together. They were both struck by a certain idea — a mental image of a baby surrounded by goblins. Same, frankly!
A Dennis Lee novella and a script by Monty Python member Terry Jones later, Labyrinth was in the works. Of course, nowadays, the cast — David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly — is iconic. But before Connelly secured the role, several other now well-known stars were up for the part, including; Jurassic Park‘s Laura Dern, Spider-Man‘s Marisa Tomei, and ‘80s movie legend Ally Sheedy.
It goes without saying that we’re very glad Connelly ended up with the role of Sarah. Who’s to say where the movie would have landed had she not? (You can actually watch the audition that landed her the part below.)
And, as they say, the rest is history. Initially, the movie didn’t perform all that well at the box office in the US, but would go on to become a beloved cult hit through home video sales and screenings on the Disney channel throughout the ’90s. Now, it’s a fan-favorite tale everywhere for families and adults alike.
For more otherworldly adventures, check out everything we know about the House of the Dragon season 2 release date and the Rings of Power season 2 release date. You can also check out our list of the best fantasy series, and check out how to watch the Lord of the Rings movies in order. Oh, and we also interviewed The Muppets themselves. No biggie.
You can also take a look out our list of the best animated movies and Disney movies for more creatures, and see what new movies are coming out in 2023.