Hollywood, CA, February 5, 2007 – The Jim Henson Company has announced the most recent
additions to its feature film development slate and live action projects based on beloved fantasy titles fill
the list. The company has acquired the rights to “The Boggart” by novelist Susan Cooper (“The Dark is
Rising”), “The Doubtful Guest”, the whimsical classic story by Edward Gorey, and the popular fantasy
adventure trilogy “Monster Blood Tattoo” by D.M. Cornish. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, the
company’s visual and special effects division, will bring the myriad fantasy characters and creatures of
each film to life using a blend of CGI and animatronics. For each project, producing duties will be
handled by The Jim Henson Company’s co-CEOs Lisa Henson and Brian Henson, and Jason Lust, the
company’s Senior Vice President of Feature Films.
“The Boggart”, originally published in 1993, tells the story of a family from Toronto who inherits a
Scottish castle and all its contents…including the gleeful spirit who has been playing tricks on the castle
residents for generations. The story is to be developed as a live-action family feature film with Brian
Henson (“Muppet Treasure Island”, “Muppet Christmas Carol”, “Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars”)
attached to direct.
“The Doubtful Guest”, a story about an inexplicable creature that shows up unannounced and
unwelcome at a family-owned bed & breakfast, has been a favorite worldwide since its debut in 1957.
Brad Peyton (“Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl”) is attached to direct and Matthew Huffman will write
the screenplay.
“Monster Blood Tattoo” is a series of three books, “Foundling”, “Lamplighter” and a third untitled novel,
that tell an adventure story set in the world of the Half Continent, a magical Victorian realm where an
orphaned boy embarks on a perilous quest to become an apprentice to an esteemed line of monster
bounty hunters. No writer or director is attached Lisa Henson said, “What is exciting to us about these projects is that they are wonderful, unique fantasy
stories, each having their own challenges when adapting them for the big screen. We are looking
forward to seeing our artists at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop bring the Boggart, the Doubtful Guest and
the creatures of the Half-Continent to life and to realizing all these great stories in creative and exciting
ways that we hope their loyal fans will enjoy.”