5 Fantasy Worlds from The Jim Henson Company

Mon 31 Aug 2026

For more than 70 years, The Jim Henson Company has created engaging characters and compelling stories that have captivated audiences for generations. From a goblin king’s louring realm in Labyrinth 1986, to a mysterious enterprise filled with industrious goblins and talking stationery in The Portable Door 2023, the Company is internationally renowned for the creation of high fantasy cinematic worlds.

Presented as part of the ‘Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company’ exhibition (12 September 2026 – 18 April 2027) at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), the free film program ‘Screened to be Believed: The Jim Henson Company’ at the Australian Cinémathèque, showcases a selection of unmissable films that demonstrate the artistry and on-screen wizardry of The Jim Henson Company.

DELVE DEEPER: Keep up-to-date with all our 'Make, Believe, Magic' stories, screenings, behind-the-scenes reveals & objects on display.

Dr Victoria Wareham, the Australian Cinémathèque’s Assistant Curator, has devised three film programs for the Gallery’s two cinema screens, exploring the Company’s work, the Creature Shop’s creations and their combined global influence. Here are her top 5 for ‘Screened to be Believed.

#1 Labyrinth

When sixteen-year-old Sarah (Jennifer Connolly) sets out to rescue her infant half-brother Toby (Toby Froud) from a mysterious goblin king (David Bowie), she finds herself in the fantastical world of the Labyrinth (1986) filled with hedge-lined mazes, goblin cavalcades and an Escher-inspired staircase that seemingly leads to nowhere.

NOT TO BE MISSED: See costumes and props featured in the iconic ‘Magic Dance’ scene adjacent in the ‘Make, Believe, Magic’ exhibition.

Featuring over 500 objects, from handcrafted puppets and animatronic creatures to large-scale puppeteering sets, props, unique costumes and original drawings, to moving-image clips and examples of digital puppetry, ‘Make, Believe, Magic’ offers a comprehensive view of the creativity embodied within The Jim Henson Company’s many television, film and stage productions.

Labyrinth will screen from a 4K digital restoration at the Australian Cinémathèque:
1.30pm, Sun 13 Sep 2026
8.00pm, Fri 6 Nov 2026
6.00pm, Fri 8 Jan 2027
3.00pm, Sat 17 Apr 2027

Brian Henson & Jim Henson on the set of Labyrinth 1986

#2 The Dark Crystal

In “Another world, another time, in the Age of Wonder”, two races — the gentle Mystics and the morally corrupt Skeksis — must reunite to restore balance and harmony to the world of Thra. Jim Henson and Frank Oz’s ambitious all-puppet feature film brings together the Company’s expertise in creative world-building, craftsmanship and performance. From the dark and lurid lair of the Skeksis to the ancient ruins of the Gelfling, The Dark Crystal (1982) is a classic hero’s journey, with every detail crafted and brought to life by hand.

NOT TO BE MISSED: Want to meet the characters in person? Works from The Dark Crystal, and many puppets from The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance such as Skeksis, Mystic and Aughra are adjacent in the world-first exhibition ‘Make, Believe, Magic’.

The Dark Crystal screens at the Australian Cinémathèque:
1.30pm, Sat 12 Sep 2026
6.00pm, Fri 22 Jan 2027
1.00pm, Sun 21 Feb 2027
1.00pm, Sun 18 Apr 2027

#3 MirrorMask

MirrorMask 2005 directed by David McKean and produced by The Jim Henson Company, tells the story of a young circus performer named Helena who ventures into a fantasy world divided by light and shadow in search of a magical mirror mask that will save her ailing mother, the Light Queen. Initially developed under the working title ‘Curse of the Goblin Kingdom’, the film echoes the Company’s earlier productions The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986), continuing the Company’s tradition of high-fantasy, cinematic storytelling.

MirrorMask will screen from an archival 35mm print at the Australian Cinémathèque:
6.00pm, Fri 18 Sep 2026
8.15pm, Fri 8 Jan 2027

#4 Turkey Hollow

When recently divorced parent Ron (Jay Harrington) takes his children on a family holiday for Thanksgiving, little did he realise that their trip away would bring them face-to-face with a group of friendly monsters. Based on the unproduced 1968 television special The Musical Monsters of Turkey Hollow, developed by Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl, the idea was revived from the Company archives decades later, becoming the television special Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow (2015), executively produced by Lisa Henson and directed by Kirk R. Thatcher.

NOT TO BE MISSED: Want to see these furry faces in person? They, and their earlier 1968 iterations are adjacent in the exclusive-to-Brisbane exhibition ‘Make, Believe, Magic’.

Turkey Hollow screens at the Australian Cinémathèque:
10.30am, Sun 29 Nov 2026

#5 The Portable Door

A Screen Queensland-supported production filmed across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, The Portable Door (2023) is set on the glistening cobbled streets of London and charts the journey of a young intern as he embarks on an unconventional form of employment filled with magicians, goblins and mysterious portals. An adaptation of Tom Holt’s 2003 fantasy novel, The Portable Door, the film features a stand-out cast, including Miranda Otto, Damon Herriman, Sam Neill, Patrick Gibson and Christoph Waltz.

The Portable Door screens at the Australian Cinémathèque:
8.15pm, Fri 18 Sep 2026
12.45pm, Sun 31 Jan 2027

#6 Our wild card: The True Bride

Jim Henson’s beloved television series The StoryTeller (1987-89) is an anthology of European fairy tales, many of which were first published by the Brothers Grimm. The episode ‘The True Bride’ was adapted from an early German folk tale by acclaimed screenwriter Anthony Minghella and features remarkable creatures created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

NOT TO BE MISSED: The magnificent Thought Lion from ‘The True Bride’ can be seen in the adjacent ‘Make, Believe, Magic’ exhibition.

Jim Henson’s The StoryTeller (‘The True Bride’ episode) screens at the Australian Cinémathèque:
12.00pm, Sun 13 Sep 2026
10.30am, Sun 24 Jan 2027

Only at GOMA. Exclusive to Brisbane, Queensland.

For the full cinema programs visit:
Program 1: Screened to be Believed: The Jim Henson Company
Program 2: Where the Wild Things Are Made: Jim Henson’s Creature Shop
Program 3: Beyond Henson: Puppetry and World Cinema
Sat 12 September 2026 – Sun 18 April 2027
Australian Cinémathèque, GOMA

The ‘Make, Believe, Magic’ cinema programs are free, with screenings on selected Wednesday and Friday nights and throughout the day on Saturday and Sundays.

For more information on the exhibition visit:
Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company
Sat 12 September 2026 – Sun 18 April 2027
Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA)
Gallery 1.1 (The Fairfax Gallery), Gallery 1.2, Gallery 1.3 (Eric and Marion Taylor Gallery) & River Room (Sue and Brian King River Room)

Buy tickets in advance to 'The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company' to guarantee entry. Tickets are also available at the exhibition entry unless sold out. Last session 4.00pm daily. Exhibition closes at 5.00pm.
Get tickets

‘Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Compary’ is organised by the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art in collaboration with The Jim Henson Company.

QAGOMA is excited to be celebrating the opening of ‘Make, Believe, Magic’ in association with Brisbane Festival in September.

Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA)
Brisbane, Australia