A Jim Henson biopic is currently in development from Disney and The Jim Henson Company. According to Deadline, screenwriter Michael Mitnick is set to pen the movie. It’s a look at the man who gave us the Muppets and brought joy to so many throughout his life as a puppeteer. Called Muppet Man, the film will follow Henson’s journey to getting the Muppets on cable network.

Henson’s daughter Lisa Henson is producing the film for The Jim Henson Company. Disney bought the rights to the Muppets in 2004, although The Henson Company still owns Henson’s life rights. Rumors of a biopic first began to circulate back in 2010, but this is the first official confirmation we have that the project is moving forward. Mitnick, also known for The Current War and The Giver, will be rewriting a previous version of a script by Aaron and Jordan Kandell (Adrift).

Deadline reports that the film will explore the life of the puppeteer and it is one of the first times we’re going to be learning about Henson in this format. There are plenty of documentaries about the icon, but this is the first foray into a biopic of Henson, who passed away in 1990 at the age of 53.

Saying that Jim Henson is “beloved” is almost not enough. His characters are timeless and are still relevant today. Recently, Disney released Muppets Now and have since re-released older episodes of The Muppet Show on Disney+ for fans to enjoy. From Kermit the Frog to Gonzo and beyond, we love so many of these characters and we owe a lot of that love and appreciation to Henson.

No release date has been confirmed for the project yet, so stay tuned to Collider where we’ll have more updates once we receive them.

via Collider