Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Barretta Brothers Prepare to Pen "Elbo Elf" for Henson

In December 2004, The Jim Henson Company acquired the rights to Elbo Elf: P.M.O.C., a book by Ralph Romano and Joe Burke. It is a holiday tale about an unusual elf in Santa’s workshop - an elf with four arms. The book is now in development to become a feature length production written by brothers Bill Barretta (Muppeteer and co-writter off Jim Henson's Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story) and Gene Barretta (children’s book illustrator of Merry Creature Christmas and Journey, Easter Journey).

Elbo Elf: P.M.O.C. has a heart-warming message about never giving up and helping others. It’s the kind of project that continues Jim Henson's mission to "celebrate diversity through creative and inspiring stories."

Tom Romano, Ralph Romano's brother and co-owner of the rights to Elbo Elf, said, "My favorite holiday has always been Christmas and Henson had the vision to see that Elbo Elf could become a seasonal favorite. After 35 years, we look forward to working with Gene and Bill [Barretta] to bring Elbo to life for all children to enjoy."

There is no information on when the film would be released, who would star in it, or anything else - they're still working on the script. But as soon as I hear anything, I'll keep you all posted on the status of this production.

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