Dark Crystal 2 is official

Contacts:
Nicole Goldman/Ann Schwarz Samantha Hately
The Jim Henson Company Omnilab Media

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OMNILAB MEDIA AND THE JIM HENSON COMPANY JOIN FORCES
TO LAUNCH THE AUSTRALIAN FEATURE PRODUCTION OF THE
HIGHLY ANTICIPATED
POWER OF THE DARK CRYSTAL

Sequel to Henson classic film “The Dark Crystal” to be financed and produced
by Omnilab Media in Australia and executive produced by
The Jim Henson Company.
3D, live action, visual effects film to be one of the largest Australian
productions ever.

HOLLYWOOD, CA May 04, 2010 – In a joint announcement by Omnilab Media’s
Christopher Mapp and The Jim Henson Company’s Lisa Henson, Australian based
Omnilab Media is teaming up with The Jim Henson Company to bring the much
anticipated fantasy sequel, “Power of the Dark Crystal” to the big screen in
stereoscopic 3D. The highly anticipated film will be among the most ambitious
projects to ever be produced in Australia.

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“Power of the Dark Crystal” will be produced by the Australia based production arm
of Omnilab Media, Ambience Entertainment. The Jim Henson Company’s executive
producers are Brian Henson, Lisa Henson and Jason Lust. Omnilab Media’s
executive producers are Christopher Mapp, Matthew Street and David Whealy.
Cinemarket Films’ Peter D. Graves (“Terminator Salvation”) rounds out the executive
producer team.

Peter Spierig and Michael Spierig, writers and directors of “Undead” and most
recently, “Daybreakers,” have come aboard to direct the screenplay written by
Australian Craig Pearce (“Moulin Rouge,” “Strictly Ballroom,” “Romeo +
Juliet”) based on an original script by Annette Duffy and David Odell. The legendary
fantasy artist Brian Froud will reprise his role as conceptual designer of the film,
which will use a stunning mix of live action and traditional puppetry combined with
visual and special effects produced entirely in Australia. Omnilab-affiliated Iloura
(“Where the Wild Things Are,” “The Pacific,” “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark”) has
already begun work on the film’s complex CGI elements. With this team in place,
next steps will be to secure worldwide distribution.

“‘Power of the Dark Crystal’ is an exciting and ambitious undertaking and, having
worked on previous projects with the top-notch talent and crews that Australia offers,
we know we have assembled the right team to deliver the sequel to one of the most
enduringly popular titles in the Henson library. Peter Spierig and Michael Spierig are
sure to create a film that will continue the legacy of the original and exceed the
expectations of our loyal fans,” said Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson
Company. “We are especially enthusiastic to be working with Omnilab Media, a
strong and growing force in worldwide film finance and production.”
“We are very pleased to be producing this wonderful and fantastical film in Australia.
The ‘Power of the Dark Crystal’ will showcase the depth of talent Australia has to
offer up on the international stage, including the extremely gifted directing team of
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Peter Spierig and Michael Spierig. The Jim Henson Company has consistently
delivered an amazing range of entertainment over generations and is an iconic
creative studio that we are proud to have partner with us,” added Christopher
Mapp from Omnilab Media. Michael Spierig said, “We feel a tremendous amount of responsibility in telling this story with the same meticulous care that Jim Henson and Frank Oz gave the 1982 original.” Added Peter Spierig, “This is a chance to take the world of puppetry into the modern age by using modern techniques (like motion capture CGI) and the tried and true methods (like puppetry and animatronics) to create a one hundred percent real world that is unique to ‘The Dark Crystal’.”

Set hundreds of years after the events of the first movie when the world has once
again fallen into darkness, “Power of the Dark Crystal” follows the adventures of a
mysterious girl made of fire who, together with a Gelfling outcast, steals a shard of
the legendary Crystal in an attempt to reignite the dying sun that exists at the center
of the planet.

ABOUT OMNILAB MEDIA http://www.omnilab.com.au
Omnilab Media is an Australian and New Zealand based globally focused vertically
integrated entertainment company involved in the production, visual effects, post
production and financing of a diverse range of film and television properties.
Amongst the funding deals recently concluded by Omnilab Media, covering both
production and P&A financing, are Oliver Stone’s ‘W,’ ‘The Bank Job.’ ‘The
Messenger,’ ‘’Bran Nue Dae,’ and the upcoming ‘Dylan Dog: Dead of Night,’ ‘The
Loved Ones,’ ‘Tomorrow When the War Began,’ and ‘The Killer Elite.’
Omnilab Media has also created a new digital film company with Kennedy Miller
Mitchell (Dr.D Studios) to use groundbreaking digital storytelling, animation and
visual effects. The first production will be HAPPY FEET 2, with a range of other bluechip properties in development.
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ABOUT AMBIENCE ENTERTAINMENT http://www.ambienceentertainment.com
Ambience Entertainment was originally founded as a post production company in
1999 and in 2003 dipped its toe into the production arena with the creation of The
Pop Pups. In 2004 Ambience Entertainment was acquired by Omnilab Media to
create content for group and has since grown into one of Australia’s fastest growing
independent film and television production companies dedicated to producing
compelling film and television programs for local and international broadcasters and
audiences.

With a well-earned reputation for quality, Ambience Entertainment specializes in
feature films, game shows, children’s programming and animation. Ambience Entertainment is the content and production division of the Omnilab Media, Australia’s largest independently owned vertically integrated media company.

This alliance has enabled Ambience Entertainment to develop its own distinctive
television and film content with the strategic goal of significantly increasing its
production output.

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The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for over 50 years and is recognized worldwide as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics and digital animation. Best known as creators of the world famous Muppets, Henson has received over 50 Emmy Awards and nine Grammy Awards. Recent credits include the Emmy® nominated “Sid the Science Kid,” “Dinosaur Train” “Wilson & Ditch: Digging America” and “Pajanimals.” Features include “The Dark Crystal,” “Labyrinth,” “MirrorMask,” and “Unstable Fables” and television productions include “Fraggle Rock” and the sci-fi cult series “Farscape.” With additional locations in New York and London, The Jim Henson Company is headquartered in Los Angeles on the historic Charlie Chaplin lot, complete with soundstage and postproduction facilities. Independently owned and operated by the five adult children of founder Jim Henson, the Company is also home to Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™, a pre-eminent character-building and visual effects group with international film, television and advertising clients, as well as Henson Recording Studios, one of the music industry’s top recording facilities known for its world-class blend of state-of-the-art and vintage equipment.

The Company’s Henson Alternative brand recently launched the New York run of “Stuffed and Unstrung,” a live puppet improvisational show at the Union Square Theatre.

http://www.henson.com