Jim Henson's Creature Shop is an American animation and special/visual effects company founded in 1979 by Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. The company is based in

Hollywood, California Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...

, United States.

History

Jim Henson's Creature Shop was originally created as a partnership with British illustrator Brian Froud to facilitate the production of ''

The Dark Crystal ''The Dark Crystal'' is a 1982 dark fantasy, dark fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. It stars the voices of Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell (actress), Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, and Barry Dennen. The film was prod ...

''. Originally located in

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...

, London, it received its name in order to differentiate it from Jim Henson's original puppet workshop in New York City. It was then used for future productions such as ''

Labyrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth () is an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the h ...

'' and '' The StoryTeller.'' It was relocated to

Camden Town Camden Town () is an area in the London Borough of Camden, around north-northwest of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is identified in the London Plan as one of 34 major centres in Greater London. Laid out as a residential distri ...

following Henson's death in 1990 and his son, Brian Henson, takes it over. A third location in

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank had a Census-estimated population of 102,755 as of 2023. The city was ...

opened to serve Hollywood, and one of its first projects was the '' Dinosaurs'' television series. Its main animatronic supervisor is London native David Barrington-Holt. Since The Jim Henson Company sold off the rights to The Muppets brand to

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

in 2004; the Muppet Workshop in New York is now credited as Jim Henson's Creature Shop. In the modern day, the New York shop specializes in hand puppets, including building The Muppets and most of the puppets in ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...

''. The Los Angeles branch creates more realistic animatronic creatures and creature suits. The location at Camden Town, London closed in Spring 2005, and was converted into a luxury apartment known as The Henson. In addition to practical effects, the shop also specializes in "

digital puppetry Digital puppetry is the manipulation and performance of digitally animated 2D or 3D figures and objects in a virtual environment that are rendered in real-time by computers. It is most commonly used in filmmaking and television production but has ...

", a form of

computer animation Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating Film, moving images. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both still images and moving images, while computer animation refers to moving images. Virtu ...

that controls a digital avatar using manual puppet controls to animate them more quickly and easily than if it was entirely digital. This is known as the "Henson Digital Puppetry Studio" and is used extensively in television, including the entirety of the series '' Sid the Science Kid''. Besides films, the Creature Shop has created costumes for live events and theme park appearances. They created a realistic Smilodon "full-suit puppet" for a show at the

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the laws, elements and phenomena of the physical world, including life. Although humans are par ...

, which cost more than $100,000. Some of their other costumes include the Polar Bear for

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...

Tony the Tiger Tony the Tiger is the advertising cartoon anthropomorphic tiger mascot for Frosted Flakes (also known as Frosties) breakfast cereal, appearing on its packaging and advertising. After the original Kellogg's, Kellogg Company spun off its North Am ...

Shrek ''Shrek'' is a 2001 American animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, and written by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, and Roger S. H. Schulman, loosely based on the 1990 children's picture boo ...

, Tommy and Chuckie from '' Rugrats'', the

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' (''TMNT'') is an American media franchise created by comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Leonardo, Donatello (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), D ...

, and the animatronics from '' Five Nights at Freddy’s''.

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1969–present) (puppets (for later post-2000 seasons, built by Jim Henson's Creature Shop, New York City)) * ''

'' (1982) (creature effects) * '' Dreamchild'' (1985) (creature effects) * ''

'' (1986) (creature effects) * '' The StoryTeller'' (1987) (creature effects) * '' The Bear'' (1988) (creature effects) * ''Lighthouse Island'' (1989) (special effects) * '' Monster Maker'' (1989) * '' The Ghost of Faffner Hall'' (1989) (puppets) * ''

'' (1990) (creature effects) * '' The Witches'' (1990) (creature effects) * '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze'' (1991) (creature effects) * '' Dinosaurs'' (1991-1994) (creature effects) * '' The Polar Bear King'' (1991) (creature effects) * '' Honey, I Blew Up the Kid'' (1992) (special effects) * '' The Muppet Christmas Carol'' (1992) (special effects and miniatures) * '' Wolf It'' (1993-1996) (Bro and Bro puppets) * '' The Neverending Story III'' (1994) (creature effects) * ''

The Flintstones ''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera, Hanna-Barbera Productions, which takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighbors, the R ...

'' (1994) (creature effects) * '' Babe'' (1995) (creature effects) * '' Cutthroat Island'' (1995) (creature effects) * ''

The Indian in the Cupboard ''The Indian in the Cupboard'' is a low fantasy children's novel by the British writer Lynne Reid Banks. It was published in 1980 with illustrations by Robin Jacques (UK) and Brock Cole (US). It was later adapted as a 1995 children's film ...

'' (1995) (creature effects) * '' 101 Dalmatians'' (1996) (creature effects) * ''

Gulliver's Travels ''Gulliver's Travels'', originally titled ''Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships'', is a 1726 prose satire by the Anglo-Irish writer and clerg ...

'' (1996) (creature effects) * '' The English Patient'' (1996) (visual effects) * ''

Muppet Treasure Island ''Muppet Treasure Island'' is a 1996 American Musical film, musical Swashbuckler film, swashbuckler comedy film directed by Brian Henson and the fifth theatrical film featuring the Muppets. Adapted from the 1883 novel ''Treasure Island'' by Ro ...

'' (1996) (special effects and miniatures) * '' The Phantom'' (1996) (costume effects) * '' Samson and Delilah'' (1996) (mechanical lion) * '' Buddy'' (1997) (creature effects) * ''

George of the Jungle ''George of the Jungle'' is an American animated television series produced and created by Jay Ward and Bill Scott, who also created '' The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends''. The character George was inspired by the story of ...

'' (1997) (creature effects) * ''

The Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...

'' (1997) (creature effects) * '' Lost in Space'' (1998) (creature effects) * '' Dr. Dolittle'' (1998) (creature effects) * '' Jack Frost'' (1998) (special effects) * '' Alice In Wonderland'' (1999) (creature effects) * ''

Animal Farm ''Animal Farm'' (originally ''Animal Farm: A Fairy Story'') is a satirical allegorical novella, in the form of a beast fable, by George Orwell, first published in England on 17 August 1945. It tells the story of a group of anthropomorphic far ...

'' (1999) (creature effects) * '' My Favorite Martian'' (1999) (creature design) * '' The Talented Mr. Ripley'' (1999) (visual effects) * '' Mission to Mars'' (2000) (wire removal) * '' The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas'' (2000) (creature effects) * '' Rat'' (2000) (special effects) * '' Brotherhood of the Wolf'' (2001) (creature effects) * '' Cats & Dogs'' (2001) (creature effects) * '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' (2001) (creature effects) * '' Gosford Park'' (2001) (digital effects) * '' Snow Dogs'' (2002) (creature effects) * '' Stuart Little 2'' (2002) (creature effects) * '' The Master of Disguise'' (2002) (specialty props) * '' The Country Bears'' (2002) (creature effects) * '' Looney Tunes: Back in Action'' (2003) (stand-in puppets) * '' Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life'' (2003) (visual effects) * '' Around the World in 80 Days'' (2004) (visual effects) * '' Five Children and It'' (2004) (character animation, special effects, digital puppetry and animatronics) * ''

Pride Pride is a human Emotion, secondary emotion characterized by a sense of satisfaction with one's Identity (philosophy), identity, performance, or accomplishments. It is often considered the opposite of shame or of humility and, depending on conte ...

'' (2004) (special effects) * '' Are We There Yet?'' (2005) (performance animation) * ''

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' is a Science fiction comedy, comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally a The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series), radio sitcom broadcast over two series on BBC ...

'' (2005) (puppets) * ''

Batman Begins ''Batman Begins'' is a 2005 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with David S. Goyer. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne (Dark Knight trilogy), Bruce Wayne / B ...

'' (2005) (visual effects) * '' Mee-Shee: The Water Giant'' (2005) (creature effects, special effects and digital puppetry) * '' The Producers'' (2005) (creature effects) * '' The Darjeeling Limited'' (2007) (animatronic tiger) * '' Forgetting Sarah Marshall'' (2008) (puppets) * ''

The Hangover ''The Hangover'' is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips, and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. It is the first installment in ''The Hangover'' trilogy. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, H ...

'' (2009) (tiger in a car) * '' Where the Wild Things Are'' (2009) (creature effects) * '' The Muppets'' (2011) (puppets) * '' Muppets Most Wanted'' (2014) (puppets, along with Puppet Heap) * '' Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge'' (2014) * '' Oscar's Hotel for Fantastical Creatures'' (2014-2015) * '' Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever'' (2014) (puppets and stand-in puppets) * '' Turkey Hollow'' (2015) (creature effects) * '' The Jungle Book'' (2016) (stand-in puppets) * '' The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'' (2019) * '' Earth to Ned'' (2020) * ''

Come Play ''Come Play'' is a 2020 American supernatural horror thriller film written and directed by Jacob Chase, based on his own short film titled ''Larry''. The film stars Gillian Jacobs, John Gallagher Jr., Azhy Robertson, and Winslow Fegley. A g ...

'' (2020) (creature design and fabrication) * '' Duff's Happy Fun Bake Time'' (2021) * '' Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock'' (2022-present) * ''

Five Nights at Freddy's ''Five Nights at Freddy's'' (''FNaF'') is a video game series and media franchise created by Scott Cawthon that includes video games, novels, graphic novels, and films. The story arcs typically follow a night guard or other character trying t ...

'' (2023) (animatronics)

Other

* '' Snuggle'' (Snuggle Bear) * '' LendingTree'' (Lenny) * '' Hamburger Helper'' (Hamburger Helper Glove) * '' The Joy of Music'' ("Joy")

Jim Henson Alternative

* '' Puppet Up! - Uncensored'' * '' 53rd Annual Grammy Awards'' (2011) * '' Nintendo Digital Event @ E3 2015'' (2015) * '' The Happytime Murders'' (2018) (puppets) * ''

Coldplay Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey (band m ...

's'' Music of the Spheres "Biutyful" music video (The Weirdos) (2022)

References

External links