 He co-directed
"The Dark Crystal" (1982) with Frank Oz, "trying to go toward a sense of realism—toward a reality of creatures that are actually alive".To provide a visual style distinct from the Muppets, the puppets in "The Dark Crystal" were based on conceptual artwork by Brian Froud, and it was a financial and critical success.Oz directed "The Muppets Take Manhattan" (1984) which grossed $25.5 million domestically and ranked one of the top 40 films of 1984.