From Kermit, the world’s favorite frog, to Sesame Street‘s Big Bird, Jim Henson created some of the world’s most famous and popular characters, but was rarely seen onscreen himself. However, Disney and The Jim Henson Company have announced that they will be bringing the story of this larger than life man to film in an upcoming biopic.
Currently in development as Muppet Man, this film will follow the journey of the puppeteer and entertainment-world giant from the beginning until he passed away in 1990 at age 53, with special attention to his journey to get The Muppets on air. As surprising as it may seem now, in a world where Henson’s works from The Muppets to Fraggle Rock to Bert & Ernie are household names, Henson had a difficult time convincing broadcasters that puppets were a reasonable addition to their television lineup.
The Current War and The Giver writer Michael Mitnick is set to write the script for this live action film, while Henson’s daughter Lisa will produce for The Jim Henson Company. Outside of these two there are currently no other names attached to the project, but be sure to check back here for updates as they become available.
