Muppets sequel plot and promotional photo in Entertainment Weekly

[Scooterforever]

I wonder how much of the characters was Disney, how much was Segal et al (James Bobin was integral to Uncle Deadly's inclusion), and how much was the Muppeteers. Scooter did have a small comeback in the last 2 telefilms before the Disney buy out. The fact they were able to get Link Hogthrob, a character noticeably absent from every movie, save for nonspeaking crowd cameos, into a music number in the last film was amazing. He's such an underrated character who needed theatrical screen time. Sigh... I wonder how a theatrical Pigs in Space film would work.

It's just that now we're getting older characters recast and we're ironically losing new characters to puppeteer availability (well, mostly Brian Henson characters).

As I've said many times on this site, I was pleased to see Scooter given ample screentime and a significant role in "The Muppets." We really do need a Pigs in Space film, very badly. I have some ideas of my own which I think are very good. And speaking of losing characters voiced by Brian Henson, am I the only one who really, really misses Phil Van Neuter? He would make a great nemesis of sorts to Bunsen Honeydew.

 

[Drtooth]

A PIS film would be great, but I wonder how they could get one to work. I'd think it's a bold step in making a movie focus on specific Muppet characters besides the main group (with the exception of Piggy, the star of that segment). I just don't see them doing one ever.

And I'm glad they've found a permanent replacement for Scooter since those Studio DC specials. The two other recasts in VMX and MWOZ were good, but unfortunately not sustainable.

 

[Scooterforever]

A PIS film would be great, but I wonder how they could get one to work. I'd think it's a bold step in making a movie focus on specific Muppet characters besides the main group (with the exception of Piggy, the star of that segment). I just don't see them doing one ever.

And I'm glad they've found a permanent replacement for Scooter since those Studio DC specials. The two other recasts in VMX and MWOZ were good, but unfortunately not sustainable.

Well, since you asked, here's my idea for a PIS film:

The crew of the Swinetrek are assigned by Admiral Sam (Sam the Eagle) to go to the planet Koozebane, where they must rescue reporter Kermit the Frog, from the dungeons of Emperor Gonzo, merciless dictator of Koozebane. Kermit was imprisoned for his negative reporting about the Emperor. Fozzy, the court jester, is in the dungeon as well, sentenced to death for making a joke about the Emperor's nose. The crew of the Swinetrek must rescue Kermit and Fozzie and escape the perils of Koozebane.

 

[muppetlover123]

i feel like they could make a pigs in space like 30 minute primetime special

 

[MrBloogarFoobly]

It's one of those things certain fans are completely impossible to please about. They want the old characters, complain about recasts and think those puppeteers need their own characters, then complain about new characters. New characters, be it Sesame Street or The Muppets, come and go. Some don't work, some stick, some unfortunately depend on puppeteer availability. The ones that do stick, however, are characters that work. Sherri Netherland was fun, but she has no use outside that experimental corner. David Hasslehog and Spamela Hamderson were barely anything but caricatured parodies and thankfully haven't been used since (unless you count Muppet Snow White). Once the disposable new characters are weeded out, we get staple new characters like Baby Bear or Pepe. New characters are essential to filling cracks left by "retired" or hereto left not recast older characters. It's just that now we're getting older characters recast and we're ironically losing new characters to puppeteer availability (well, mostly Brian Henson characters).

I don't care about recasts because recasts have to happen. You can't bring Jerry Nelson or Richard Hunt or Jim Henson back from the grave. That's a cold, hard fact.

I think jvcarroll's point is more in line with what needs to happen. The Muppets need a primary overseer, not a bunch of corporate suits or some screenwriter. Things are just too scattered. The Muppeteers themselves need more control over their own work.

I work in a corporate-creative setting, so I understand that it's probably not going to happen. But I'm talking best case scenario.

 

[Scooterforever]

I don't care about recasts because recasts have to happen. You can't bring Jerry Nelson or Richard Hunt or Jim Henson back from the grave. That's a cold, hard fact.

I think jvcarroll's point is more in line with what needs to happen. The Muppets need a primary overseer, not a bunch of corporate suits or some screenwriter. Things are just too scattered. The Muppeteers themselves need more control over their own work.

I work in a corporate-creative setting, so I understand that it's probably not going to happen. But I'm talking best case scenario.

Yeah, hate to brake the news, but Disney owns the Muppets, and Disney beats the creativity and beauty out of everything they own like they're Marvin Suggs. We got lucky with "The Muppets," but I'm a realist, and I'm not holding my breath for the future. I already have my doubts about the sequel; after the success of "The Muppets," I'm sure Disney will be breathing down the creative teams' necks to make sure the sequel fits into their own little stupid view of what a kid's film should look like. It'll be the "Cars 2" of Muppet movies (unless you liked "Cars 2," in which case you don't get the reference).

 

[jvcarroll]

Yeah, hate to brake the news, but Disney owns the Muppets, and Disney beats the creativity and beauty out of everything they own like they're Marvin Suggs. We got lucky with "The Muppets," but I'm a realist, and I'm not holding my breath for the future. I already have my doubts about the sequel; after the success of "The Muppets," I'm sure Disney will be breathing down the creative teams' necks to make sure the sequel fits into their own little stupid view of what a kid's film should look like. It'll be the "Cars 2" of Muppet movies (unless you liked "Cars 2," in which case you don't get the reference).

While I understand the frustration with many Disney decisions, that is incredibly pessimistic. It's not supported by how they've treated the Muppets since 2011. Your Langridge avatar demonstrates how Disney has been pretty cool about the Muppets even before that. The film might be good, it might flop, it might fizzle. We don't know, but every indicator is that they're doing something really special!

Also, Cars 2 was a failure of Pixar's John Lasseter, not Disney. He had free reign over the picture and that's what he decided to do.

 

[Drtooth]

While I understand the frustration with many Disney decisions, that is incredibly pessimistic. It's not supported by how they've treated the Muppets since 2011. Your Langridge avatar demonstrates how Disney has been pretty cool about the Muppets even before that. The film might be good, it might flop, it might fizzle. We don't know, but every indicator is that they're doing something really special!

Agreed fully. This film has the same creative team as the last film (minus Jason), and the only meddling Disney put forth in The Muppets actually made the film better! Kermit having a dilapidated mansion bought during better days? We loved that concept. better than him having a very good mansion where he lived alone... Disney suggestion. Walter inexplicably being Gary's brother instead of being a ventriloquist figure, the lack of all the references to the Muppets being Puppets... all Disney. And all they did was smooth out a good intentioned yet fan ficcy script to be consistent with the characters and the brand. Oh, and by Disney I mean Disney employed Muppet forerrunners that worked at Henson first.

And I'm sick of the whole notion that Disney, unlike all other companies, hammers down creativity. Look at all the other classic character reboots. Warner Bros, Fox, Sony... they turned sure things into cynical cash grabs. They did well, but they were on various levels of soullessness.

Also, Cars 2 was a failure of Pixar's John Lasseter, not Disney. He had free reign over the picture and that's what he decided to do.

Fifty Fifty... Had Pixar split, they would've done Cars 2 anyway, so that was Disney's intent... but Pixar took a Saturday Morning Cartoon plot and it barely worked. Cars 2 was all about making a toy line and a movie second, even with artists. Still, it's better than anything that ever came out of Sony... so...

 

[minor muppetz]

Some people have pointed out how The Jim Henson Company has struggled to get quite a few of it's in-development productions past the in-development stage, especially when it involves an existing property like The Dark Crystal or Fraggle Rock. And I've just started thinking, when Disney got the Muppets Henson signed a five-year deal with Disney, and most of the Muppet productions made during that time are rather mediocre. Is it sad that the best of those productions, in my opinion, is The Muppets' Wizard of Oz? Of course I haven't seen that movie since 2006 or 2007, so maybe I should watch again, but at the time I first saw it, I thought it was better than The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island (somehow I get the feeling that I now like MCC better).

I think that after the new movie comes out, or after production ends and before it comes out, the Muppets should do some occasional TV specials, maybe two or three a year. These days it's rare for a special to be made if it doesn't involve a holiday or special event, but it would still be great. Like one year we could get a variety special, the long-awaited halloween special, and something like a Pigs in Space special or an Electric Mayhem concert. Maybe this kind of idea would be best for ABC Family or The Disney Channel.

In fact, it would be great if they sort of revived The Muppet Show, but only did one episode every few months. It'd be a little like the original broadcasts of The StoryTeller (two a year before The Jim Henson Hour came along) or The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour. Maybe call it "The Occasional Muppet Show".

Agreed fully. This film has the samecreative team as the last film (minus Jason), and the only meddling Disney put forth in The Muppets actually made the film better! Kermit having a dilapidated mansion bought during better days? We loved that concept. better than him having a very good mansion where he lived alone... Disney suggestion. Walter inexplicably being Gary's brother instead of being a ventriloquist figure, the lack of all the references to the Muppets being Puppets... all Disney. And all they did was smooth out a good intentioned yet fan ficcy script to be consistent with the characters and the brand. Oh, and by Disney I mean Disney employed Muppet forerrunners that worked at Henson first.

And according to the blu-ray, and I'm not sure if they were just joking (as they seemed to do too much in the commentary), they considered making all the characters look a little older, some having gray hairs and such. That would have been a horrible idea if approved.

 

[Scooterforever]

In fact, it would be great if they sort of revived The Muppet Show, but only did one episode every few months. It'd be a little like the original broadcasts of The StoryTeller (two a year before The Jim Henson Hour came along) or The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour. Maybe call it "The Occasional Muppet Show".

What, like a British tv show where each season is only 6 episodes? Considering how superior British tv is (e.g. Sherlock vs. the lackluster Elementary), mostly due to quality control as a result of the low episode number, that might not be a bad idea.