A window into the life of puppeteer Jim Henson has just opened for fans, as a documentary titled Jim Henson: Idea Man will be released exclusively for Disney+. Last week, the streaming service posted a trailer for the documentary covering the life and career of Henson and the stories he was able to bring to life.
From well-known franchises such as The Muppets and Sesame Street to the more or less common ones such as The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, the film will cover both the creative process of these pieces but also goes over the life of Henson and the difference he made in entertainment and the lives of those around him.
His children have collaborated with actor and director Ron Howard, who is leading the project, to help bring light to Henson’s creative process and life. “It was sort of anarchy on the outside, but underneath it, there was always a smart idea — a witty point to make, an observation about the world,” he mused. According to ComicBook.com, Howard believes that by watching Henson, viewers can “observe a lot about entertainment, what entertains us and why, through his journey.”
Lisa Henson, one of the daughters of Jim Henson and CEO of the Jim Henson Company, said that Howard is one of the most creative people next to her father and is happy that the film was directed by such an accomplished person in the industry. “If there was going to be a definitive documentary about Jim Henson, we had hoped it would be in the hands of an accomplished filmmaker,” she said. “Ron Howard is both a creative and personality match for my father, unlike anyone else we could have contemplated.”
Jim Henson: Idea Man will be released on May 31st.