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 like you could actually observe a lot about entertainment, what entertains us and why, through his journey.”
The documentary is produced by Imagine Documentaries, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Sara Bernstein, Margaret Bodde, Justin Wilkes, Mark Monroe, and Christopher St. John. Executive producers include Paul Crowder, Meredith Kaulfers, and Michael Rosenberg.
“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,” reads Disney+’s synopsis. “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.”
