‘The Storyteller’ Reboot In The Works From The Jim Henson Company And Neil Gaiman
By Chris Evangelista/Feb. 19, 2019 1:30 pm EST
“Jim Henson was always ahead of his time,” Gaiman continued:
The original series debuted in 1987, featuring a framing device involving a “storyteller (John Hurt) sitting by a fire telling each tale to both the viewers and to his talking dog who acted as the voice of the viewers, and was written in a language and traditional style in keeping with old folk tales.” This new take appears to be making the storyteller a more active participant in the narrative of the show.
“He found ways to retell folk and fairy tales for a televisual generation. The original The Storyteller was a brilliantly written, directed and told set of stories. It’s a terrifying and inspiring task to reinvent what Jim Henson did for the golden age of television we are in right now, and I’m honored that The Jim Henson Company would entrust me with the task of bringing back the storyteller and his magical stories, and sending him out into the world for a whole new round of tales.”
“There is currently nothing like The Storyteller in the television landscape and the themes these stories will explore are even more critically important today,” said Dante Di Loreto, President of Scripted Entertainment for Fremantle. “We are honored to be working with Lisa Henson and her illustrious company to bring their esteemed property back to television, and to be yet again partnering with Neil on another project that will further showcase his brilliant narrative power.”
Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Company, added:
“The Storyteller has been a longtime favorite for our fans who appreciate the beautiful artistry and faithful visualizing of these classic tales. It has always been a special project for me as well, having worked so closely with my dad on the original concept…Neil Gaiman is an expert in traditional folklore and mythology, in addition to himself being the modern ‘storyteller’ for our times. It is especially exciting to have Neil’s reimagining of the series brought to life by our Creature Shop, allowing us to share these classic stories with a whole new audience all around the world.”
