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Christopher Nolan continues to assemble quite the cast for his latest movie as THR reports that Lupita Nyong’o (A Quiet Place: Day One) has signed on. As you might expect, there aren’t any details on who Nyong’o might be playing in the film.

The film is already set to star Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, and Zendaya. Production is expected to kick off in early 2025, with Universal already slating the film for an IMAX release on July 17, 2026. In addition to directing and writing the film, Nolan will also produce with Emma Thomas under their Syncopy banner. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but there have been plenty of rumours swirling around, ranging from a period vampire thriller to a helicopter action thriller, but insiders say “nothing has come close to nailing Nolan’s real idea.“

Related Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net: Alien, The Muppet Show,...

Kevin Bacon’s next movie will be a true family affair. Variety reports that Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick are set to direct Family Movie, a horror-comedy in which they will also star alongside their children, Travis and Sosie Bacon.

Based on a screenplay by Dan Beers (Premature), the film follows “an eclectic but tight-knit family of filmmakers who suddenly find themselves in a real-life horror movie when a body turns up on the set of their latest low-budget slasher. As the production spirals comically out of control, they realize the only solution to keep filming is to cover up the murder, by any means necessary.“

The Bacon family will also produce the project for Mixed Breed Films alongside Norman Golightly at Dark Castle Entertainment. “There may not be a more compelling Hollywood family than the Bacons,” said Golightly in a statement. “We can’t wait to bring their unique...

Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at [email protected].

Alien by Grégory Féron

Beast Wars by Emilio Lopez

Calvin and Hobbs by Mark Chilcott

Friday The 13th by Nerd Designer

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing by Alex Reid

The Muppet Show...

For kids growing up in the late 1960s who thought that Mister Rogers Neighborhood didn’t feel enough like a bad acid trip in a dodgy renaissance fair, there was H.R. Pufnstuf, the story of a human boy who battles a witch in a trippy fantasyland full of puppet men and talking musical instruments. Just try watching 30 seconds of this show and see how well you pass a sobriety test afterwards.

H.R. Pufnstuf was created by Sid and Marty Krofft, the brother team that also gave us the cult ‘70s kids show Land of the Lost (which was later turned into a Will Ferrell movie) and the world’s most batshit crazy amusement park — although “The World of Sid and Marty Krofft” in Atlanta closed down after only five months in operation, and eventually became the decidedly less fun CNN Center.

But before all of that, the Krofft...

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Toony Terrors Figures from Neca

Neca’s latest wave of Toony Terrors, dubbed “Silver Screen,” features black-and-white versions of Nosferatu, Vincent Price, Vampira, and They Live’s Alien in Suit.

Nosferatu comes with a rat. Vincent Price includes a cat, skull, and interchangeable hand. Vampira has a skull. Alien in Suit features a piece of propaganda.

Modeled in the style of classic Saturday morning cartoons, each 6” scale figure comes on blister card packaging with a cutout backdrop. The set of four is available for $64.99.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space Neon Sign from Spirit Halloween

Spirit Halloween has added several neon signs to its arsenal this spooky season, including Killer Klowns from Outer Space‘s cotton candy gun.

As Agatha Harkness continues to make magic in Disney+’s new “WandaVision” spin-off series “Agatha All Along,” it’s time to countdown the top seven TV shows streaming on the platform. While the streamer’s original programming has so far been dominated by new “Star Wars” stories and Marvel spin-offs, Disney+ is the home of shows from Disney Channel, Disney Junior, ABC, Fox, National Geographic, and more, from the long-running (and often prophetic) “The Simpsons” to the beloved international kid’s show “Bluey.”

Ready for adventures across the space-time continuum, short-lived animated mystery comedies, and puppet-led parties? Here are the top seven TV shows streaming on Disney+!

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Top 7 Shows Streaming on Disney+ Right Now:

No. 7: “The Mandalorian”

No. 6: “Doctor Who”

No. 5: “Star Wars: Andor”

No. 4: “WandaVision”

No. 3: “Gravity Falls”

No.

Frank Oz’s illustrious career will be celebrated by the Museum of the Moving Image with screening series “The Magic of Oz: A Frank Oz Retrospective.”

All 15 films Oz directed will screen, ranging from “Little Shop of Horrors” to “The Muppets Take Manhattan” to “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and “Bowfinger.” Oz’s acting roles in “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Inside Out,” plus his character creations for “Sesame Street” and “The Muppet Show,” will also be part of the lineup. The series will take place from October 4 to November 30.

“Frank Oz has been a revered and adored artist for generations, yet I’d argue he’s under-appreciated for his filmmaking, which he’s dedicated the past 40 years to,” curator of film Eric Hynes said.

“From the beginning he defied expectations, starting with his now-classic homage to the Hollywood studio musical and B-movie creature feature, ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’ and continuing through...

Mere hours after Disney Experiences held its big showcase at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California and touted major and exciting new film, TV and parks projects at D23, the “ultimate Disney fan event,” it appears one fan-favorite attraction could be closing for good. Walt Disney Imagineering, the secretive arm of the Walt Disney Company responsible for the theme parks, has only a few weeks to decide whether to keep Muppet*Vision 3D or to shut it down, an individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap, and its closing was originally going to be tipped during a D23 presentation until a last-minute swap.

The original attraction opened in 1991, exactly a year after Jim Henson’s tragic death and has since become something of an institution. The film itself is a hilarious trip to the Muppet Labs, where your favorite characters are working on demonstrating a new 3D technology. It...

While we wait for the 50th season of "Saturday Night Live" to begin, complete with Maya Rudolph returning as Vice President Kamala Harris, another era of the late night sketch comedy series will soon be getting the spotlight too. Jason Reitman, director of "Juno" and "Up in the Air," is digging back into the annals of comedy history with his latest cinematic effort, "Saturday Night." The film will chronicle the relatively short window of time leading up to the October 1975 premiere of "Saturday Night Live," though the series wouldn't debut with that full title, premiering only as "Saturday Night." 

"Saturday Night," described as a "comedy-thriller" by Reitman himself, promises to dig into all the behind-the-scenes chaos and drama that led to the breakthrough live comedy experiment that would become a late night staple and spawn some of the biggest names in comedy, starting with the Not Ready for Primetime Players like Dan Aykroyd,...

On Friday nights, IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.

First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.

Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.

The Pitch: Film Noir Gets so Many Studio Notes it Achieves Sentience

I’m not the most important person in the world today who loves Venn Diagrams, but “His Kind of Woman” might be best explained as something that rests at the center of a series of overlapping circles. Almost all of those circles are “Howard Hughes wanted reshoots,” to be fair, but there are a number of factors that make this tropical fever dream a fun film noir b-side, best watched with a rowdy group of friends late at night. Alcohol is optional,...

In spite of the Walt Disney Company’s obvious embarrassment, Disneyland celebrated its 69th anniversary earlier this week. And while the park has obviously had a big impact on generations of happy children/exhausted adults, it’s also worth noting that it helped to shape the career of one of the most famous comic performers alive today: Steve Martin.

Famously, Martin spent weekends and summers working at Disneyland as a kid, beginning at the age of 10, because, as the comedian later speculated, “I don’t think there were any child labor laws then.”

In addition to catching the act that later inspired Three Amigos!, Martin was also influenced by the park’s resident comedian, Wally Boag, who performed a Western-themed routine as part of the “Golden Horseshoe Revue” in Frontierland’s faux saloon.

Play

Boag’s time at Disneyland spanned decades, from when it opened in 1955 all the way to...

Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling are undoubtedly one of Hollywood’s most adorable couples. The pair first caught a liking to each other when they met on the set of the 2012 film, The Place Beyond the Pines. What began was a romance that would last a lifetime. It has been over a decade and the relationship is still going strong.

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes in The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) | Sidney Kimmel Entertainment

Before getting into the glitz and glamour of Tinsel Town, Ryan Gosling was left enamored by the beauty of an extremely talented actress who is unfortunately, no longer with us – Raquel Welch. The actor has spoken multiple times about the crush he had on her while growing up and now, neither we nor the fans can help but notice the striking resemblance between Raquel Welch and Ryan Gosling’s wife, Eva Mendes.

Ryan Gosling Was Head...

Peter Docter, the Chief Creative Officer of Pixar Animation Studios, offered a compelling perspective on the evolving landscape of film distribution. Speaking particularly in the context of streaming services like Disney+, Docter admitted harboring high hopes for his latest Inside Out 2, despite widespread concerns about the impact of streaming services.

Chief Creative Officer of Pixar Animation Studios, Peter Docter | image: Instagram/@petedocter

Making a bold assertion, that Disney’s strategy with streaming platform has not only been financially viable but has also revolutionized movie distribution in unexpected ways, Peter Docter vindicated Disney+. Despite acknowledging how streaming services ruined the theater business since the pandemic, Docter spoke about the privilege of Disney+ and its strategy for making movies profitable.

Peter Docter Has High Hopes About the Success of Inside Out 2

From Pixar head Peter Docter, the director of Up, Monsters Inc., and the most profitable Pixar original Inside Out...

For decades, Jim Henson’s Muppets have been tucked in and around the Disney Parks. Sometimes they are front-and-center, like Muppet*Vision 3D. Other times they can be hard to track down, like the Muppet Mobile Lab. But one thing is for sure – they never fail to pull a chuckle out of the audience.

The documentary Jim Henson: Idea Man, recently released on Disney+, chronicles the life and career of the Muppets’ creative visionary. But Henson’s life ended way too young, at age 53, just before the first Muppets moved into Walt Disney World. In honor of Henson’s life and in celebration of his beloved creatures, let’s take a look through their Muppetational history in the Disney Parks.

A Giant Among Puppets

Disney Legend James Maury Henson was born in 1936 in Greenville, Mississippi. Though he spent the early part of his childhood down south, he moved north...

Following its premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, Disney+ began streaming “Jim Henson Idea Man” on May 31, 2024. The documentary directed by Oscar winner Ron Howard chronicles Henson’s life, from the early years of his career to the creation of properties like the Muppets, “Sesame Street,” and “The Dark Crystal,” and also focuses on his creative and romantic partnership with his wife Jane Henson.

The movie is holding fresh with a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, stating “Howard captures Henson’s restless creativity, ambition, and artistic evolution in the style and spirit of his complex subject, an artist who revolutionized television, inspired generations, and created some of the world’s most beloved characters. Featuring new interviews with Henson’s closest collaborators and children, as well as never-before-seen materials from his personal archives–including home movies, photographs, sketches, and diaries–Howard brings us an entertaining and insightful look at a man...

“At first, I thought they were a rock and roll band because they all kind of came in with bandanas and long hair and beards and stuff like that,” reveals Ron Howard about his first encounter with Jim Henson and his team behind the Muppets. For our recent webchat he says that it was his one-and-only 1970s encounter with Henson, adding “I did cross paths with him one time backstage at this crazy prime-time live variety show that ABC was trying to hatch as a regular series. They didn’t wind up continuing with it, but were both guests on an it, and for a brief moment, we kind of intersected.”

Howard is the director and producer behind the new Disney+ documentary “Jim Henson Idea Man” about the legendary founder of the Muppets. Henson’s children gave Howard and his documentary team full access to the family and company archives.

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Ben Thompson on Wbgr-fm on May 30th, reviewing “Jim Henson: Idea Man,” directed by Ron Howard and featuring Frank Oz and The Muppets. Streaming on Disney+ beginning May 31st.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Jim Henson was born in Mississippi and raised there and in Maryland. He answered an ad for a Washington, D.C. television station in the 1950s … they were looking for a puppeteer … and astoundingly, Henson got the job with no previous puppetry experience. Partnering with Jane Nebel, who would eventually become his wife, the two created the beginnings of the Muppet phenomenon by gearing their comedy towards adults. Eventually forming a company, Jim and Jane were able to get by through commercials and TV work through the 1960s, until Henson practically invented Sesame Street in 1969. Always itching for new avenues of creativity, he launched “The Muppet Show” in...

Jim Henson is a man who needs no introduction. He’s a household name, famous for his intricate puppets and his creative genius. Throughout the late 20th century, he captivated people worldwide with fun characters and innovations in puppetry that could only be thought up by someone as gifted and ingenious as Henson himself. He brought smiles to millions of faces, and his work has forever left an impact on the world of entertainment as a whole. I’ve always been a huge fan of the Muppets ever since childhood; I remember putting Muppet movies on VHS on repeat, and the characters have always been a joy to watch. Reflecting on the work of Jim Henson is a fitting way to honor his legacy, so I’d like to take a look back at his works in the world of puppetry and the impact they have left. Henson was a...

Plot: “Jim Henson Idea Man” takes us into the mind of this singular creative visionary, from his early years puppeteering on local television to the worldwide success of Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and beyond. Featuring unprecedented access to Jim’s personal archives, Howard brings us a fascinating and insightful look at a complex man whose boundless imagination inspired the world.

Review: It’s hard to properly quantify the importance of someone like Jim Henson. The value of education is obvious but the ability to make it fun for kids is a tough nut to crack. Whether it’s through Sesame Street or The Muppets, Henson’s work has taught generations. That’s not to mention the emotional maturity brought on by films like The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. So it’s well overdue that we’re treated to a documentary, lovingly portraying one of the most remarkable minds in Hollywood.

Early on in Jim Henson: Idea Man, director Ron Howard‘s admiring and affecting biographical portrait of the genius behind the Muppets, Henson‘s longtime collaborator Frank Oz recalls, “He was so internal and quiet that his inner life must have been sparkling.” I can attest to that. One of my fondest memories is an interview I conducted with Henson in his company’s fabulous New York townhouse (dubbed the “Muppet Mansion”), including a visit to the Muppet Workshop, in advance of 1987’s A Muppet Family Christmas, a terrific special that featured lovable characters from The Muppet Show, Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock (among others) all gathering at Fozzie Bear’s mother’s house for the holidays. We had only been talking a few minutes when I realized my tape recorder had barely inched forward. Turns out it was set on voice activation, and it had only picked up my questions,...

R2-D2 is a curious character in "Star Wars" lore. It's a three-foot-tall trashcan-shaped high-tech utility knife on wheels, most often used as a navigational computer (it can be plugged into the navigational systems of small spacecraft), and only communicating using a series of beeps and computerized chirping noises. Other characters talk to R2-D2 as if it's a human being, and indeed, some of its computer language sounds a little bit like a human voice, but one might be able to question if R2-D2 possesses consciousness. 

R2's sounds were provided by long-term "Star Wars" sound designer and editor Ben Burtt, and in multiple "Star Wars" films, actor Kenny Baker operated R2's moving parts from within. The human touch leads many to rest assured that R2 is indeed a conscious being with feelings and memories beyond mere computational storage. R2's consciousness was reinforced in the 1985 animated TV series "Droids,...

The new Netflix miniseries Eric asks one of the universal questions: What if Jim Henson was an emotionally abusive drunk, his son went missing in mid-Eighties New York City, the investigation involved crooked cops and a queer nightclub and an underground encampment for the unhoused, and Henson began hallucinating conversations with his newest Muppet as a way to cope with all of this?

You know, that old chestnut.

Technically, Benedict Cumberbatch is not playing Henson, but a fictional peer of the late, great puppet master: Vincent Anderson, creator and chief puppeteer of a beloved,...

There's a delightful moment early in Ron Howard's documentary "Jim Henson Idea Man," where Henson, creator of the Muppets, appears on "The Orson Welles Show." Recounting his youth, Henson admits that when he was a child he had absolutely no interest in puppets, nor did he use puppets. Welles is overdramatically shocked. "You never saw a puppet?" the auteur turned talk-show host asks, incredulous. Henson didn't say those exact words, but he nods in agreement. It's a wonderful little anecdote: the man who is perhaps the most famous puppeteer to ever live didn't really care about puppets when he was younger. As "Idea Man" makes clear in its early moments, puppetry just sort of happened to Jim Henson. As a young guy obsessed with TV and filmmaking, Henson answered an ad for puppetry on a local TV station — and the rest is history. Henson was a natural, and his career...

IndieWire launched our “Pass the Remote” FYC TV screening series, produced in partnership with Disney, with a dynamic casting directors panel April 25, two Disney Storytellers panels April 29, and a panel about “Abbott Elementary” May 20.

Next up? A “Jim Henson Idea Man” panel on May 24 celebrating the documentary about the Muppets creator, which just premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Like all events in the “Pass the Remote” screening series, it will take place at the Vidiots Foundation in Los Angeles’s Eagle Rock neighborhood.

Legendary director Ron Howard will be in attendance on the panel, as will composer David Fleming and editor Paul Crowder. Howard is a two-time Oscar winner. In recent vintage, he’s become a more prolific documentary director, with films such as “The Beatles: Eight Days a Week” (2016), “Pavarotti” (2019), “Rebuilding Paradise” (2020), and 2022’s profile of Jose Andres and the World Central Kitchen, “We Feed People.”

“Jim Henson...

If you were to learn that Disney+, from the company that owns the work created by the late Jim Henson, was broadcasting a documentary about the visionary puppeteer and filmmaker and that doc was being directed by Ron Howard with substantial input from Henson’s family, you could probably guess what the movie would be like.

And you’d be right.

In this case, though, there’s nothing wrong with a little predictability. Henson and Howard are a fine match, and the sort of film you’d expect Ron Howard to make – straightforward, skillful, honest and sympathetic – is pretty much the kind of movie you’d want about Jim Henson.

There are surprises in “Jim Henson Idea Man,” which had its world premiere on Saturday night in the Cannes Classics section of the Cannes Film Festival. But there’s nothing shocking, nothing earthshaking about this portrait of the man who gave us Big Bird,...

It may not be too much of an exaggeration to say that Jim Henson came up with the concept for an immersive video dome long before Sphere bubbled up in Las Vegas.

In the mid-1960s he developed an idea for a nightclub he called Cyclia – “the entertainment experience of the future” – that would feature crystal panels throughout the ceiling, floor and walls onto which films would be projected.

“Once an hour, a woman in a white leotard would rise from a pedestal in the center of the floor to have film projected on her body as she danced,” writes author Brian Jay Jones in Jim Henson: A Biography.

For better or worse, the psychedelia-inspired concept never became a reality. But it’s an example of the restless imagination that propelled Henson throughout his life. The incredible range of Henson’s creative urges come into focus in Ron Howard’s documentary Jim Henson Idea Man,...

From “Star Wars” to The Beatles and The Beach Boys, everything old is new again this month at Disney+! The streamer is feeling nostalgic and is getting ready for several major premieres this May, including the remaster of the infamous 1969 Beatles documentary “Let It Be” and the premieres of new documentaries on The Beach Boys and visionary Jim Henson.

Disney+’s biggest premiere this month, though, is an international affair: the long-awaited new season of “Doctor Who,” starring Ncuti Gatwa as the recently regenerated Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as his interdimensional companion Ruby Sunday.

Check out everything coming to Disney+ this May and get your watch list in order with The Streamable’s top 5 picks for the month!

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What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Disney+ in May 2024? “Star Wars: Tales of the Empire” Premiere | Saturday,...

"Never stop creating." Disney+ has revealed the wonderful official trailer for the documentary called Jim Henson Idea Man, a biopic look back at the life of this creative genius. It will be streaming worldwide on Disney+ at the end of May for everyone to enjoy. Directed by Ron Howard, Jim Henson Idea Man takes us into the mind of this singular creative visionary, from his early years puppeteering on local television to the worldwide success of Sesame Street, The Muppet Show & beyond. With unprecedented access to Jim's personal archives, Ron Howard brings us a fascinating and insightful examination of a complex man whose boundless imagination inspired the world. Henson also directed the beloved fantasy films The Dark Crystal & Labyrinth. Featuring interviews of fans of Henson's work, interspersed with footage from Jim Henson's works, including Wilkins and Wontkins Commercials that were previously lost. Wow. Well, this looks utterly magical and delightful!

Disney+ has released the trailer for Idea Man, the upcoming Jim Henson documentary from Ron Howard. The film will debut May 31st on the streamer. Watch it below.

Directed by Howard, Jim Henson Idea Man promises to take viewers “into the mind of this singular creative visionary, from his early years puppeteering on local television to the worldwide success of Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and beyond” thanks to “unprecedented access” to Henson’s personal archives.

In a previous statement, Henson’s family gave the documentary their blessing, saying, “It will be thrilling to see the story that emerges from these materials in the hands of a truly great filmmaker like Ron Howard, who has the perfect spirit and personality to tell Jim Henson’s story.”

Howard also produced Idea Man with Brian Grazer under their Imagine Entertainment banner. Sara Bernstein, Margaret Bodde, Justin Wilkes, Mark Monroe, and Christopher St. John also served as producers.

The legendary Jim Henson changed the face of puppeteering forever. Now, the “Sesame Street” and “The Muppet Show” icon is at the center of Academy Award winner Ron Howard’s latest documentary, “Jim Henson Idea Man.”

Howard helms the Disney+ original documentary that takes audiences into the mind of Henson’s singular creative vision. The film charts his early years puppeteering on local television to the worldwide success of “Sesame Street,” “The Muppet Show,” and beyond. Featuring unprecedented access to Jim’s personal archives, director Howard brings us a fascinating and insightful look at a complex man whose boundless imagination inspired the world.

The original documentary from Disney Branded Television, is produced by Howard’s Imagine Documentaries. Howard also serves as a producer alongside Brian Grazer, Sara Bernstein, Margaret Bodde, Justin Wilkes, Mark Monroe, and Christopher St. John.

Paul Crowder, Meredith Kaulfers, and Michael Rosenberg serve as executive producers.

IndieWire...

Poster for ‘Jim Henson Idea Man’ (Photo Credit: Disney+)

Disney+ has set a May 31, 2024 premiere date for Jim Henson Idea Man, a documentary directed by two-time Oscar winner Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind). “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. Ron Howard is both a creative and personality match for my father, unlike anyone else we could have contemplated,” stated Lisa Henson in an email to Vanity Fair.

“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,” said Howard while discussing his impression of Jim Henson’s life with Vanity Fair. “To see that evolve through the medium of puppetry and television, and then on into movies, was so interesting to me. I felt...

Sarah Silverman is taking a new swing at David Letterman’s fondly recalled “Stupid Pet Tricks,” and it would be easy to say something about the comic “going to the dogs” or “hoping the new show has legs.” But Silverman has a lot more in store than skateboarding canines and bubble-popping reptiles.

That’s right, this isn’t your dad’s “Stupid Pet Tricks.”

“The stupid pet tricks happen in front of the camera,” says Silverman during a recent interview, but “we wanted to make it kind of a ‘Muppet Show’ where you see behind the scenes.” Every episode has a storyline that might involve a writers’ room with just one human, or Jack McBrayer as a rival host with his own animal program. Will Ferrell, Jon Hamm, Reggie Watts and Judd Apatow are among the other guests who take on roles within the program. Even Letterman makes an appearance.

Anthony Daniels has been stirringly loyal to the "Star Wars" media empire ever since its inception in 1977. Daniels played the prissy, cowardly droid C-3Po, an automaton built to aid in translation and matters of diplomacy. Curiously, he was programmed to flee from danger, and frequently comments on how his carbon-based compatriots are reckless and foolhardy. He may have a point, as C-3Po is dismembered and reassembled several times throughout "Star Wars" history.

Daniels has appeared inside the droid costume, or at least provided the voice for C-3Po in 14 feature films, not all of them "Star Wars" related. He played the part in "The Lego Movie," for instance. He also voice the popular droid in "The Star Wars Holiday Special," appeared on both "The Muppet Show" and "Sesame Street," starred in the animated series "Droids," and acted in over a dozen "Star Wars" and "Lego Star Wars" video games.

Nordic Honorary Dragon Award recipient Sidse Babett Knudsen said at Sweden’s Göteborg Film Festival that she felt “frustrated” when filming HBO’s “Westworld,” particularly regarding the treatment of horses.

“In the U.S., they don’t have a flat hierarchy, which won’t surprise anyone. I would knock on the producers’ door all the time, saying: ‘These horses have been out in the sun for 10 hours, they are going to fucking die,” she recalled. “They are not even working today – get them in the shade!'”

She continued, “As a Dane, I was just looking at the resources, money and logic, going: ‘It’s crazy!’ But, of course, it’s super irritating when an actress talks about horses all the time. How did they react? Not well.”

In the first season of the dystopian series, Knudsen played Theresa Cullen, Westworld’s head of quality assurance. HBO did not immediately...

The first "Pigs in Space" segment of "The Muppet Show" occurred in the third episode of the show's second season, the one hosted by Milton Berle. "Pigs in Space" sought to lampoon all of the most popular sci-fi tropes of the day, most notably "Star Trek," which was exploding in popularity at the time thanks to endless syndication deals. The segments took place on board a pig-shaped vessel called the Swinetrek, which was commanded by the handsome Captain Link Hogthrob (Jim Henson). Miss Piggy (Frank Oz) played First Mate Piggy, and the ship's chief medical officer was Dr. Strangepork (Jerry Nelson). The "Pigs in Space" segment was so popular, it appeared in 32 episodes of "The Muppet Show" through its fifth season. The segment was revived for the short-lived 1997 series "Muppets Tonight," where it was called "Pigs in Space: Deep Dish Nine: The Next Generation of Pigs in Space."

"The Muppet Show...

Amazon MGM Studios and The Jim Henson Company are teaming to develop a series based on the work of Brian and Wendy Froud.

Brian and Wendy will executive produce the project along with their son, Toby. The Jim Henson Company will also executive produce.

Currently titled “Faerie,” the series is described as a “modern Henson family adventure set in the magical world of Brian & Wendy Froud’s Faeries.”

The official series description states: “When the Faeries kidnap an unsuspecting father, his family must venture into the Faerie realm to rescue him. Through their journey, they will discover their inner strength and unique potential, challenging the expectations that the human world has put upon them. At its core, Faerie is a story of perseverance and the strength of a family’s love, filled with magic, adventure, and self-discovery at every age.”

The Jim Henson Company is repped by UTA.

The Frouds...

There’s never been a creative artist quite like Jim Henson. The Mississippi-born Henson was arguably the world’s most famous puppeteer, but he was much more than that. A cartoonist, actor, inventor, animator, writer and filmmaker, Henson was in a class by himself, whether his work appeared in films or on television. In addition, Henson founded the enormously successful Jim Henson Company, an entertainment mainstay that has lived on to produce family entertainment long after Henson’s untimely death in 1990.

After Henson got his start at age 18 creating puppets for a local station in Washington, D.C., he was approached by the Children’s Television Workshop to help develop a new series for PBS, “Sesame Street.” Soon kids around the world were marveling at the antics of Big Bird and his friends, and the show’s success led Henson to expand his Muppet empire with such further successful series...

Nestled away in what looks to be a warehouse district in Louisville, Ky is the Davis Arena. It might not look like much, but the sign outside of the door suggests otherwise:

“Tomorrow’s Superstars, Today!”

This is the home of Ohio Valley Wrestling, what I affectionately like to call the “little promotion that could.” It is also the subject of the powerful, hard-hitting new Netflix docu-series, Wrestlers, which follows the men and women in this struggling developmental territory. They are the future stars of professional wrestling, many of them. All of them have that dream. But to accomplish it, they must first make their name and prove themselves. And that happens in places like Ovw. Unfortunately, times are tough for the company. No longer a breeding ground for the main roster stars of WWE, Ovw is going through a turbulent stretch with new owner Matt Jones, who often conflicts with 60-year-old wrestling legend,...

The American film and stage actor, renowned for her roles in the composer’s musicals, on making her West End debut in a celebration of his music

Bernadette Peters is an American singer and actor. Born in 1948 in Queens, New York, where her father worked as a delivery driver, she has appeared in numerous TV shows and films, including The Muppet Show, Ally McBeal, Silent Movie with Mel Brooks, The Jerk with Steve Martin, and Annie. But she is probably best known for her Tony award-winning work on Broadway, where she has starred in, among other musicals, Mack and Mabel, Annie Get Your Gun and Hello, Dolly! One of the foremost interpreters of the work of Stephen Sondheim, her association with the composer began in 1983 when she was cast as Dot in the first production of Sunday in the Park With George. Later this month, Peters will make her West...

Actors and actresses honored Alan Arkin on social media with tributes after the actor’s death Friday at 89.

The actor’s passing was confirmed in a statement from his sons Adam, Matthew and Anthony.

Paul Reiser tweeted about the actor’s death.

“A world without Alan Arkin is …not so great, I’ve loved this man from the moment he came on screen in “The Russians Are Coming..” (Whitaker Walt!!) I was 8,” Reiser wrote. “Getting to know him – and getting a laugh out of him – is a highlight of my life. Rip dear friend.”

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Alan Arkin, Oscar-Winning ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ Actor, Dies at 89

“Karate Kid” alum Ralph Macchio tweeted, “Alan Arkin – legendary in every aspect and any genre. His range was and is… beyond! Truly one of a kind.”

“The one and only Alan Arkin has left us,” Michael Imperioli wrote on Instagram. “Arkin was a rare...

Hollywood is paying tribute to Oscar winner Alan Arkin, who died on Thursday at 89.

Known for his dry, straight-faced humor and wide range of roles, Arkin was a beloved member of the entertainment world throughout his more than seven decades of acting on screen and on stage.

Arkin won his Oscar for his role in the 2006 indie road comedy “Little Miss Sunshine.” Arkin played Edwin Hoover, the nutty grandfather and biggest supporter of his granddaughter Olive Hoover (Abigail Breslin), a young girl competing in beauty pageant that sends her whole family on a road trip from New Mexico to California in their Volkswagen van.

He also earned Oscar nominations for the 1966 film “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming,” the 1968 film “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter” and Ben Affleck’s 2012 film “Argo.” He recently received two Primetime Emmys for his role as Norman Newlander on “The Kominsky Method,...

Alan Arkin, the Academy Award-winning actor known for his roles in films including Little Miss Sunshine, Argo, Catch-22, and Glengarry Glen Ross, has died at the age of 89.

Arkin passed away on Thursday, June 29th at his home in California. “Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and a man. A loving husband, father, grand and great grandfather, he was adored and will be deeply missed,” his sons said in a statement.

Born March 26th, 1934 in Brooklyn, New York, Arkin began taking acting lessons at the age of 10 and studied at multiple drama academies before making his 1957 feature film acting debut in the musical Calypso Heat Wave. After a few TV cameos, he made his Broadway debut in 1961 with From the Second City.

A star turn in 1963’s Enter Laughing earned Arkin the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play, which he...

Alan Arkin, the Oscar and Tony-winning actor who starred in films ranging from “Catch-22” to “Little Miss Sunshine,” has died at the age of 89. His death was confirmed by his sons Adam, Matthew and Anthony in a statement obtained by TheWrap. A cause of death has, as of this time, not been given.

“Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and a man. A loving husband, father, grand and great grandfather, he was adored and will be deeply missed,” the statement reads.

Borning in Brooklyn, New York on March 26, 1934, Arkin was the son of a painter and a teacher. He was raised Jewish, albeit with “no emphasis on religion,” and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was 11. His father worked as a set decorator until losing that job due to an eight-month Hollywood strike. Arkin’s parents were accused of being Communists...

Acting legend Alan Arkin is dead at age 89.

The Oscar, Tony, Emmy, BAFTA, SAG, and Golden Globe winner passed away at his home.

Perhaps best known for his roles in “Glengarry Glen Ross” and “Little Miss Sunshine,” for which he won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award, Arkin began his acting career in 1957 — and ended up with a body of work of startling range. Arkin was an early member of the Second City comedy troupe and starred on Broadway with his Tony-winning turn in 1963’s “Enter Laughing.”

His film breakout was via comedy as well: in his first major onscreen role in Norman Jewison’s 1967 Cold War caper “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming” he plays the “political officer” on a Soviet submarine that runs aground on a small New England island of only 200 residents. The sub’s captain, too embarrassed to radio the motherland for help, sends...

A version of this story about Thomas Mizer and Curtis Moore and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” first appeared in the Comedy Series issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.

Five seasons of Amazon’s pop-culture-reveling hit “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” has yielded more stars rising than bagel dough, but possibly none more so than show composers Thomas Mizer and Curtis Moore. The duo, who met at Northwestern and mentored with “The Muppet Show” veteran and multiple Emmy winner Larry Grossman, are responsible for pretty much any piece of music you hear that isn’t from someone’s songbook, and like other efforts from Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, you can bet musical numbers are going to be part of the deal.

“We did actually we were set up on a sort of blind date with them about close to 10 years ago now,” Mizer says. “We’d been writing a stage musical...

Glenda Jackson, the Academy Award-winning actor who also served as an MP, has died. She was 87.

Glenda May Jackson was born on 9 May, 1936 in Birkenhead, in Wirral. She attended the local grammar school, leaving at 16 to work at Boots.

But, dissatisfied with the retails world, she joined a Ymca drama group. "I had no real ambition about acting," she later recalled. "But I knew there had to be something better than the bloody chemist's shop." Two years later, she won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Her career began in repertory theatre, and she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1964.

Her film career includes memorable roles in the likes of Women In Love (for which she won her first Oscar), The Rainbow, Hedda, A Touch Of Class (earning her a second Academy Award) and Marat/Sade.

On television, she famously appeared on the Morecambe And Wise show, an...

Almost every single week, it seems like there's a cool new Lego set inspired by our favorite movies or TV shows. A batch of new Indiana Jones Lego sets are available now, "Jurassic Park" building brick playsets are coming soon, and a huge, new "Batman Returns" Batcave was announced just this week. But the Lego Master Builders in the Lego Ideas community are always looking to the future with some truly stellar ideas for the next Lego playsets they want to see on shelves. This week brings an incredible tribute to Jim Henson's greatest creation, and we really want to see it become a legit Lego set. 

Lego Ideas community member BulldozerBuilder has put together a pitch for "The Muppet Show" Lego set that recreates the iconic Muppet theater from the classic television show. Not only does it allow fans to build a smaller version of the stage and...

Every few months, it seems someone from Hollywood says the same thing: There are no true movie stars anymore. Blockbusters are now carried by brands and franchises, and the days of actors being able to sell a movie on their marketability alone have long since passed. How did this happen? There are a variety of possible reasons, but we’ll propose just one: movies just don’t have The Muppets in them anymore.

It has been almost 10 years since Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Scooter, and their various crafted cohorts graced theater screens in “Muppets Most Wanted,” which saw the acclaimed comedy group stage a prison break. Since then, the beloved creations of Jim Henson have been confined to the small screen, where they captured the hearts and minds of audiences everywhere via a strong candidate for the most influential sketch comedy series of all time: 1976-1981’s “The Muppet Show.

It’s always difficult for parents to find entertainment that bridges the gap between kid-friendly and not making you want to bore a hole in your skull with a giant-nailed Drilldo (look it up). In the past few decades, kiddie cartoon purveyors like DreamWorks and Illumination have attempted to bridge the gap by serving up cuddly characters spewing pop culture reference-laden dialogue, penned by Wesleyan grads with a minor coke problem. But the result invariably comes off as slick and cynical: the kids feel bored, the adults pandered to, the...

The recent passing of Harry Belafonte — and the viral proliferation of a clip featuring the iconic singer/actor/activist crooning “Day-o” in front of a boat packed with dancing pigs — was a reminder of how many stars of a certain generation were at their most relaxed and ebullient as participants on The Muppet Show.

Some 44 years after Belafonte did The Muppet Show, the powers that be at Disney and the Muppet Studio continue to go out of their way to find avenues for Muppet programming that inexplicably avoid just doing The Muppet Show for a new generation. There’s a willingness to fritter this priceless brand away on tangential projects that vanish quickly and forgettably instead of bringing the characters and the A-list stars who love them together in one spoof-and-song-driven space.

Disney+’s new effort at Muppet-mining — a third, following Muppets Haunted Mansion and Muppets Now — is The Muppets Mayhem,...