Disney Enlists Segel & Stoller for new Muppets movie

[CensoredAlso]

I don't think the Muppets need to be seen as hip and current. They just need to find a story that works. That '70s Show channeled a retro feel, and was hugely popular. Plenty of recently successful movies have taken place in times past. I'm sure there were some who said it couldn't be done.

 

[dwayne1115]

Not as a feature. Garfield to me sure doesnt work in 3d, and hes already a cartoon.



Not as a feature. Garfield to me sure doesnt work in 3d, and hes already a cartoon.



I dunno, I think it worked. Could you imagine if MFS was populated by 90's era "alt rock"? *shivers*

But your right, the Muppets need to be seen as viable characters that are hip and current...not old nostalgia



Yes it is. Given Stoller/Segal are apparently the hot new thing,
you can bet theres a lot of agents/industry people shaking their heads thinking "why are they throwing away their career with this move?"

People who think the Muppets return will be akin to Garfield/Alvin and the Chipmunks and every other braindead poorly conceptualized "revival" of old brands into modern movie going experiences will be surprised.



I feel the Muppets need to be done with period films/classic retellings/etc

Have the Muppets working for some Google like company or something modern, and bring in Jim Lewis

Ack, I hope Jim Lewis will be involved in some capacity on this.
Question is...is Stoller hardcore enough to be able to write in obscure Muppets as well(Jim Henson Hour characters routinely pop up in Muppet films) or to be able to bring in folks like Jim Lewis?

Well Beaker why dont you hop on over to the ask Jim Lewis Thread and ask him about it?

 

[uppitymuppity]

Of course the Muppets can be current. Jim Henson laid the foundations for eternal characters. All of those muppets contain the seeds to the past, present & future!

I don't think the Muppets need to be seen as hip and current. They just need to find a story that works. That '70s Show channeled a retro feel, and was hugely popular. Plenty of recently successful movies have taken place in times past. I'm sure there were some who said it couldn't be done.

 

[Redsonga]

Of course the Muppets can be current. Jim Henson laid the foundations for eternal characters. All of those muppets contain the seeds to the past, present & future!

They can be current but I don't think they always have to be to tell a good story that everyone loves and that sells well.
IMHO what makes some of the newer movies not as good is the older ones is not because the muppets are dated but because the stories were not written well. This has nothing to do with 'older' music or 'older' themes not being cool, IMHO, and everything to do with basic plot writing . The muppets can only work with what is written after all .

 

[uppitymuppity]

The muppets have to be current to touch base with the ongoing movie audience. This whole idea of a classic muppet movie is ludicrous because that is not what they will do.

It goes against the basic Hollywood fundementals - they have to draw in the crowds. OH well, i'm tired of bashing to death this horse. I live here and I listen to these execs all day long - Hollywood is about being in the now. If you don't believe me, wait and see.

 

[TheJimHensonHour]

I'd really love it if they snatched up Paul Williams to write the music for this new movie *hint*hint*hint* Disney..

 

[SarahOnBway]

YEAHHH Paul Williams! The best Muppet music is always Paul Williams---TMM, Emmet Otter, MCC... He just gets them.

But I have to agree that I think the Muppets are definitely still current. The only thing that makes TMS/the movies feel dated is the guest stars. And sometimes Piggy's hair. Aside from a few jokes (I had no idea what the Hare Krishna jokes meant when I was a kid, for obvious reasons) the movies and the sketches on the show are timeless and just as accessible to people today as they were in 1975. Mahna Mahna? Java? Happy Feet? And as someone earlier said, the classic trilogy of Muppet movies are all riffs on very popular--and still relevent--genres: the buddy road movie (recent example: Harold and Kumar), the caper (Get Smart), and the underdog-succeeds-in-its-dream movie (Ratatouille).

And this just jumped into my head, but if Paul Williams is a no-go, maybe they could get the Avenue Q guys to write the songs for the movie. They would probably work really well with Jason Segel/Nick Stoller and they still know how to right heartfelt numbers (but you know, although it's beautiful There's A Fine, Fine Line can't compare to I'm Going to Go Back There Someday in any way, shape or form).

Just thoughts. Still excited!

 

[Drtooth]

I just hope they don't get the jokers who wrote songs for OZ. They were forgettible. Glad I didn't buy the CD or recieve it as a gift.

I'm sure that they can get someone really talented to write music. And there better be music. MFS had quite a few faults, and lack of original music was one of them. I give them credit for using older funk tracks, and not the mindless pop music of today, but it still wasn't a good mix.

 

[Redsonga]

I miss the musical style songs, they really are a big part of the Muppet style IMHO . I bet they can get a good song writer though...If anyone can , it is Disney

 

[uppitymuppity]

I wouldn't worry too much about the quality or lack of music this time around... Disney and the muppets just won a grammy remember.

This is a quote from a review on film.com of the new Forgetting Sarah Marshall movie which they said is one of the funniest movies this year.

"Jason Segel is a talent to be reckoned with, a new emerging comedy voice who was both equally fantastic as the romantic/comic lead as he was as the film's screenwriter. Likewise, first-time director Nicholas Stoller proved that he made the right transition from his own writing career and displayed his talent for getting into a joke and getting out before it ever got old. The comedy is so fast and furious in this that not a single joke is left to linger, not a single moment feels wasted."

C.R. Cargill