People

By Jamie Murphy

If David Bowie in his next movie looks like a wild-haired descendant of Cookie Monster and Chewbacca the wookie, well, in a manner of speaking, he is. The versatile rocker has just finished shooting Labyrinth, a $25 million gothic fantasy directed by Muppets Creator Jim Henson and overseen by Star Wars Mastermind George Lucas. Bowie, who wrote and sings a batch of new songs for the movie, plays Jareth the Goblin King, a baddie who lives at the center of a maze and turns human babies into goblins. Most of the other characters are part of a new Hensonagerie that includes Ludos, Wild Things and a wise man with a bird growing out of his head. All delightfully different. "Henson's understanding of what children want to see and laugh at is quite eerie," says the pop star. "I've never worked with an eight-year-old director before. It's wonderful fun."