Jim Henson Idea Man

2024 documentary film by Ron Howard

This article is about the 2024 documentary film about Jim Henson. For the 2011 memoir by Paul Allen, see Idea Man.

Jim Henson Idea Man

Promotional release poster

Directed by| Ron Howard
Written by|

* Mark Mondoe
* Michael Mitnick

Produced by|

* Sara Bernstein
* Margaret Bodde
* Brian Grazer
* Ron Howard
* Mark Monroe
* Lisa Henson
* Christopher St. John
* Justin Wilkes

Starring|

* Fran Brill
* Jennifer Connelly
* Dave Goelz
* Brian Henson
* Jim Henson
* Kagga Jayson
* Rita Moreno
* Frank Oz
* Karen Prell

Cinematography| Vanja Cernjul
John Chater
Igor Martinovic
Jenni Morello
Edited by| Paul Crowder
Sierra Neal
Music by| David Fleming

Production
companies

* Imagine Documentaries
* Fifth Season
* Diamond Docs
* The Jim Henson Company

Distributed by| Disney+

Release dates

| May 18, 2024 (Cannes)

* May 31, 2024 (2024-05-31)

(Disney+)

Running time

| 108 minutes[1]
Country| United States
Language| English

Jim Henson Idea Man is a 2024 American documentary film directed by Ron Howard, about puppeteer Jim Henson. The film chronicles Henson's life, from the early years of his career to the creation of properties like the Muppets, Sesame Street, and The Dark Crystal, and also focuses on his creative and romantic partnership with his wife Jane Henson.[2] The film features interviews with family members and collaborators of Jim Henson, including Frank Oz.[2]

It premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, in the Cannes Classics sections on May 18, 2024. It premiered on Disney+ worldwide on May 31, 2024.[3]

## Production[edit]

A biographical feature film based on Jim Henson's life, known as Muppet Man, has been in development at Walt Disney Pictures and The Jim Henson Company since 2010.[4] The project was based on a spec script written by Christopher Weekes, which had topped the 2009 Black List.[5][6] In April 2021, it was reported that Michael Mitnick was hired to rewrite the screenplay, previously written by Aaron and Jordan Kandell. Lisa Henson would serve as producer.[7]

In March 2022, another attempt to adapt Henson's life, as a then-untitled Jim Henson Idea Man, was announced, stating Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's Imagine Entertainment was partnering with Disney+ on a documentary "with the full participation and cooperation of the Henson family".[8] The film's title, as well as its scheduled release date of May 31, 2024, on Disney+, were officially announced on April 11, 2024.[2][3]

## Reception[edit]

### Critical response[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 39 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "A rich and warm overview of Jim Henson's life and career that avoids simplistic hagiography, Ron Howard's documentary will give audiences a much clearer idea of the pioneering puppeteer's artistry."[9] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[10]

Michael Nordine of Variety felt Idea Man is a conventional documentary "whose feel-good charms are undercut only slightly by its adherence to the tried-and-true nonfiction formula ... If it's easy to wish Idea Man were as bold as its subject, though, it's just as easy to be won over by this deservedly heartfelt tribute to him."[11] Matthew Carey of Deadline Hollywood reflected on the prior documentaries made about Henson's life and career, but felt "[Ron] Howard brings fresh energy to the subject through the skillful use of animations based on Henson's impressive drawings and wonderful archival rarities that go beyond what has been seen in previous treatments of Henson's life."[12]

For The Hollywood Reporter, Daniel Feinberg wrote Idea Man "delivers less perspective on Henson's personality and motivations than sheer evidence of his drive. That's fine, and the documentary is fine. Anybody with affection for Henson and his work will get the requisite laughs, nostalgia and probably emotions from the footage Howard assembled here."[13] Kate Erbland of Indiewire graded the film a B+, writing despite the star-studded interview appearances, "Howard leans into honesty. The film is so much better for it, even as it can't quite capture the full magic and scope of Henson's life and work."[14]

### Accolades[edit]

Accolades for Jim Henson Idea Man Award  | Date of ceremony  | Category  | Recipient(s)  | Result

|
|
|
|

Cannes Film Festival[15] | 24 May 2024 | L'Œil d'or | Ron Howard | Nominated

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Jim Henson Idea Man". Disney+. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
2. ^ a b c Zuckerman, Esther (April 11, 2024). "First Look: Ron Howard Enters the World of Jim Henson". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on April 11, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
3. ^ a b Fu, Eddie (April 11, 2024). "Ron Howard's Jim Henson Documentary Idea Man Sets Premiere Date". Consequence. Archived from the original on April 12, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
4. ^ Brodesser-Akner, Claude (March 5, 2010). "Disney Planning a Jim Henson Biopic". Vulture. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
5. ^ Finke, Nikki (December 11, 2009). "The Black List 2009: Full Roster". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
6. ^ Zeitchik, Steve (December 11, 2009). "Muppet fur flies over Jim Henson script". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
7. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (April 21, 2021). "Jim Henson Biopic: Michael Mitnick Writing 'Muppet Man' For Disney & The Jim Henson Company". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
8. ^ Carey, Matthew (March 30, 2022). "Ron Howard, Brian Grazer Team For Documentary On Jim Henson, With Full Participation Of Muppet Creator's Family". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 30, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
9. ^ "Jim Henson Idea Man". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
10. ^ "Jim Henson Idea Man". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
11. ^ Nordine, Michael (May 28, 2024). "'Jim Henson Idea Man' Review: A Heartfelt, If Safe, Tribute to a Singular Figure". Variety. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
12. ^ Carey, Matthew (May 18, 2024). "'Jim Henson Idea Man' Review: Ron Howard Paints Moving Portrait Of Muppets Creator As Restless Innovator – Cannes Film Festival". Archived from the original on May 18, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
13. ^ Feinberg, Daniel (May 18, 2024). "'Jim Henson Idea Man' Review: Ron Howard's Disney+ Doc Is a Middle-of-the-Road Portrait of a Genius". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 19, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
14. ^ Erbland, Kate (May 18, 2024). "'Jim Henson Idea Man' Review: Ron Howard Looks Beyond Muppet Charm to Portray a Genius". Indiewire. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
15. ^ "2024 Competition". L'Œil d'or (in French). Scam : Société civile des auteurs multimédia. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.

## External links[edit]

* Jim Henson Idea Man at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Ron Howard

* Accolades
* Filmography

Feature films|

| Directed|

* Grand Theft Auto (1977, also wrote)
* Cotton Candy (1978, also wrote)
* Skyward (1980)
* Night Shift (1982)
* Splash (1984)
* Cocoon (1985)
* Gung Ho (1986)
* Willow (1988)
* Parenthood (1989, also wrote)
* Backdraft (1991)
* Far and Away (1992, also wrote)
* The Paper (1994)
* Apollo 13 (1995)
* Ransom (1996)
* EDtv (1999)
* How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
* A Beautiful Mind (2001)
* The Missing (2003)
* Cinderella Man (2005)
* The Da Vinci Code (2006)
* Frost/Nixon (2008)
* Angels & Demons (2009)
* The Dilemma (2011)
* Rush (2013)
* In the Heart of the Sea (2015)
* Inferno (2016)
* Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
* Hillbilly Elegy (2020)
* Thirteen Lives (2022)
* Eden (TBA)
* The Shrinking of Treehorn (TBA)

|

Produced|

* Clean and Sober (1988)
* The Chamber (1996)
* Inventing the Abbotts (1997)
* The Alamo (2004)
* Curious George (2006)
* Changeling (2008)
* Restless (2011)
* Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
* The Good Lie (2014)
* The Dark Tower (2017)
* Tick, Tick... Boom! (2021)
* The Beanie Bubble (2023)

Documentaries|

| Directed|

* Made in America (2013)
* The Beatles: Eight Days a Week (2016)
* Pavarotti (2019)
* Rebuilding Paradise (2020)
* We Feed People (2022)
* Jim Henson Idea Man (2024)

|

Produced|

* Beyond the Mat (1999)
* Katy Perry: Part of Me (2012)

See also|

* Imagine Entertainment
* Brian Grazer

* v
* t
* e

The Jim Henson Company

* Jim Henson Company Lot
* Jim Henson Foundation

Henson family|

* Jim Henson
* Jane Henson
* Lisa Henson
* Cheryl Henson
* Brian Henson
* John Henson
* Heather Henson

Major works|

* The Muppets†
* Sesame Street‡

Theatrical
films|

* The Dark Crystal (1982)
* Labyrinth (1986)
* The Witches (1990)
* Buddy (1997)
* Rat (2000)
* Good Boy! (2003)
* Five Children and It (2004)
* MirrorMask (2005)
* Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014)
* The Star (2017)

TV series|

* The Muppet Show (1976–1981) †
* Fraggle Rock (1983–1987)
* Fraggle Rock: The Animated Series (1987–1988)
* The StoryTeller (1988–1991)
* The Jim Henson Hour (1989)
* The Ghost of Faffner Hall (1989)
* Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories (1990–1992)
* Dinosaurs (1991–1994)
* Dog City (1992–1994)
* CityKids (1993–1994)
* Secret Life of Toys (1994)
* Jim Henson's Animal Show (1994–1998)
* Aliens in the Family (1996)
* The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss (1996–1998)
* Bear in the Big Blue House † (1997–2006)
* Brats of the Lost Nebula (1998)
* Farscape (1998–2002)
* Construction Site (1999)
* Family Rules (1999)
* Mopatop's Shop (1999–2005)
* The Fearing Mind (2000)
* The Hoobs (2001–2003)
* Telling Stories with Tomie dePaola (2001)
* Animal Jam (2003)
* Bambaloo (2003–2007)
* Pajanimals (2008, 2011–2013)
* Sid the Science Kid (2008–2013)
* Dinosaur Train (2009–2020)
* Me and My Monsters (2010–2011)
* That Puppet Game Show (2013–2014)
* Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge (2014)
* The Doozers (2014–2018)
* Hi Opie! (2014–2016)
* Word Party (2016–2021)
* Splash and Bubbles (2016–2018)
* Dot. (2016–2018)
* Julie's Greenroom (2017)
* The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019)
* Earth to Ned (2020–2021)
* Duff's Happy Fun Bake Time (2021)
* Harriet the Spy (2021–2023)
* Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock (2022–present)
* Slumberkins (2022)

TV specials|

* The Great Santa Claus Switch (1970)
* Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1977)
* The Tale of the Bunny Picnic (1986)
* The Christmas Toy (1986)
* Monster Maker (1989)
* Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree (1995)

Other
projects|

* Time Piece (1965, short film)
* The Cube (1969, teleplay)
* Gulliver's Travels (1996, miniseries)
* Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story (2001, miniseries)
* Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars (2004, miniseries)
* The Sam Plenty Cavalcade of Action Show Plus Singing! (2008, web series)
* Unstable Fables (2008, DTV film)
* Tale of Sand
* Oscar's Hotel for Fantastical Creatures (2015, web series)
* Turkey Hollow (2015, TV film)
* Pinocchio (2022, Netflix film)
* The Portable Door (2023, Stan film)
* Jim Henson Idea Man (2024, Disney+ documentary)
* Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip (TBA, Disney+ film)

Henson
Alternative|

* Puppet Up! (2006–present)
* Late Night Liars (2010)
* Simian Undercover Detective Squad (2011)
* Neil's Puppet Dreams (2012–2013)
* No, You Shut Up! (2013–2016)
* Good Morning Today (2013–2014)
* The Happytime Murders (2018)
* The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell (2018)

Divisions|

* Jim Henson's Creature Shop
* Jim Henson Pictures
* Jim Henson Records
* Jim Henson Television

Related|

* The Muppets Studio
* Sesame Workshop
* HIT Entertainment

† Sold to The Walt Disney Company in 2004, ‡ Muppet characters only; sold to Sesame Workshop in 2000

* v
* t
* e

The Muppets

* Jim Henson
* The Muppets Studio

Characters|

* Kermit the Frog
* Miss Piggy
* Fozzie Bear
* Gonzo
* Rowlf the Dog
* Scooter
* Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem
* Animal
* Statler and Waldorf
* Dr. Bunsen Honeydew
* Beaker
* Sam Eagle
* Swedish Chef
* Rizzo the Rat
* Pepe the King Prawn
* Walter

Television|

| Series|

* Sam and Friends (1955–1961)
* The Muppet Show (1976–1981) (episodes)
* Muppet Babies (1984–1991) (episodes)
* Little Muppet Monsters (1985)
* The Jim Henson Hour (1989)
* Muppets Tonight (1996–1998)
* The Muppets (2015–2016)
* Muppet Babies (2018–2022) (episodes)
* Muppets Now (2020)
* The Muppets Mayhem (2023)

|

Segments|

* The Jimmy Dean Show ("Rowlf the Dog", 1963–1965)
* The Mike Douglas Show (1966–1979)
* The Ed Sullivan Show (including The Great Santa Claus Switch, 1966–1971)
* NBC's Saturday Night (The Land of Gorch, 1975–1976)

Specials|

* Hey, Cinderella! (1969)
* The Muppets on Puppets (1970)
* The Great Santa Claus Switch (1970)
* The Frog Prince (1971)
* The Muppet Musicians of Bremen (1972)
* The Muppets Valentine Show (1974)
* The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975)
* John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979)
* The Muppets Go Hollywood (1979)
* The Muppets Go to the Movies (1981)
* The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show (1982)
* Rocky Mountain Holiday (1983)
* The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years (1986)
* A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)
* Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue (1990)
* The Earth Day Special (1990)
* The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990)
* The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (1990)
* Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree (1995)
* Studio DC: Almost Live (2008)
* A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (2008)
* Lady Gaga and the Muppets Holiday Spectacular (2013)
* Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021)

Films|

| Theatrical|

* The Muppet Movie (1979)
* The Great Muppet Caper (1981)
* The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)
* The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
* Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
* Muppets from Space (1999)
* The Muppets (2011)
* Muppets Most Wanted (2014)

|

Television|

* Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1977)
* The Tale of the Bunny Picnic (1986)
* The Christmas Toy (1986)
* It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)
* The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005)

Direct-to-
video|

* Muppet Classic Theater (1994)
* Kermit's Swamp Years (2002)

Music|

| Albums|

* The Muppet Show (1977)
* The Muppet Show 2 (1978)
* The Muppet Movie (1979)
* John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979)
* Ol' Brown Ears Is Back (1993)
* Muppet Beach Party (1993)
* Kermit Unpigged (1994)
* The Muppet Show: Music, Mayhem, and More (2002)
* A Green and Red Christmas (2006)
* A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (2009)
* The Green Album (2011)
* The Muppets (2011)
* Muppets Most Wanted (2014)
* The Electric Mayhem (The Muppets Mayhem: Music From the Disney+ Original Series) (2023)

|

Songs|

* "Rainbow Connection"
* "Bein' Green"
* "Mahna Mahna"
* "When the River Meets the Sea"
* "Bohemian Rhapsody"
* "Man or Muppet"

Web series|

* Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony (2005–06)
* The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora (2010)

Video games|

* Pigs in Space (1983)
* Muppet Adventure: Chaos at the Carnival (1989)
* Muppets Inside (1996)
* Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
* Muppet Kids (1997)
* Jim Henson's Muppets (2000)
* Muppet RaceMania (2000)
* Muppet Monster Adventure (2000)
* Spy Muppets: License to Croak (2003)
* Muppets Party Cruise (2003)
* The Muppets Movie Adventures (2014)
* Disney Mirrorverse (2022)
* Disney Magic Kingdoms (2023)
* Disney Speedstorm (2024)

Other media|

* Muppet*Vision 3D (1991–present)
* Muppet Mobile Lab (2007–present)
* The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History (2016–2020)
* Comics series
* Before You Leap

Related|

* Puppet Heap
* The Jim Henson Company
* Creature Shop
* Fraggle Rock
* characters
* Sesame Workshop
* Sesame Street
* Muppets
* Muppet Theory
* Kermitops
* Jim Henson Idea Man

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Sesame Street

* Fictional location
* Sesame Workshop
* productions
* Characters
* Educational goals
* Format
* Influence
* Licensing
* Recurring segments
* Accolades

People|

* Fran Brill
* Kevin Clash
* Joan Ganz Cooney
* Ryan Dillon
* Louise Gold
* Jim Henson
* Richard Hunt
* Eric Jacobson
* Gerald S. Lesser
* Peter Linz
* Kermit Love
* Joey Mazzarino
* Lloyd Morrisett
* Jerry Nelson
* Carmen Osbahr
* Frank Oz
* Carol-Lynn Parente
* Joe Raposo
* Martin P. Robinson
* David Rudman
* Jon Stone
* Caroll Spinney
* Matt Vogel
* Steve Whitmire
* List of guest stars
* List of puppeteers

Production|

* History
* Research
* International co-productions
* Elmo's World
* "Snuffy's Parents Get a Divorce"
* Wicked Witch episode
* Music
* discography

Songs|

* Theme song
* "Bein' Green"
* "C Is For Cookie"
* "I Love Trash"
* "Mah Nà Mah Nà"
* "Monster in the Mirror"
* "One of These Things (Is Not Like the Others)"
* "Rubber Duckie"
* "Sesame's Treet"
* "Sing"

Films|

* Follow That Bird (1985)
* The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999)

| Cameos|

* The Muppet Movie (1979)
* The Great Muppet Caper (1981)
* The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

|

U.S. spin-offs|

* Play with Me Sesame
* Sesame Beginnings
* Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures
* Elmo: The Musical
* The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo
* Mecha Builders

Television
specials|

* Julie on Sesame Street (1973)
* Out to Lunch (1974)
* Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (1978)
* A Special Sesame Street Christmas (1978)
* Big Bird in China (1983)
* Don't Eat the Pictures (1983)
* A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)
* Sesame Street, Special (1988)
* Big Bird in Japan (1989)
* Sesame Street... 20 Years & Still Counting (1989)
* Big Bird's Birthday or Let Me Eat Cake (1991)
* Sesame Street: 25 Wonderful Years (1993)
* Sesame Street Stays Up Late! (1993)
* Elmo Saves Christmas (1996)
* Elmopalooza (1998)
* The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street (1998)
* CinderElmo (1999)
* Elmo's Christmas Countdown (2007)
* Abby in Wonderland (2008)
* The Cookie Thief (2015)
* Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas (2016)
* Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration (2019)
* Sesame Street: Elmo's Playdate (2020)
* The Monster at the End of This Story (2020)

Books|

* The Monster at the End of This Book: Starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover (1971)
* Sesame Street Together Book (1971)
* The House of Seven Colors (1985)
* Happy Birthday, Cookie Monster (1986)

Literature|

* Sesame Street Magazine
* Children and Television: Lessons from Sesame Street
* The Sesame Street Dictionary
* Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street
* Sunny Days: The Children's Television Revolution That Changed America

Video games|

* Big Bird's Egg Catch
* Alpha Beam with Ernie
* The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
* Elmo's A-to-Zoo Adventure
* Cookie's Counting Carnival
* Ready, Set, Grover!
* Once Upon a Monster
* Elmo's Musical Monsterpiece
* Kinect Sesame Street TV

Attractions|

* Air Grover
* Grover's Alpine Express
* Sesame Place
* Philadelphia
* San Diego
* Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic
* Spaghetti Space Chase
* Vapor Trail

Related|

* The Jim Henson Company
* Noggin (1999-2002)
* Sesame Street in the UK
* Sesame Street Live
* Comic strip
* Syndication packages
* The Muppets
* Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey
* I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story
* The World According to Sesame Street
* Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
* Big Bag
* Oobi (episodes)
* Panwapa
* Jim Henson Idea Man
* Teletape Studios
* Kaufman Astoria Studios
* The Joan Ganz Cooney Center

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