Disney Enlists Segel & Stoller for new Muppets movie

[frogboy4]

I disagree, actually. I think a movie is needed to build up a new fanbase large enough to warrant another TV series. A movie is a guaranteed way to attract a large number of people to the Muppets--a TV show doesn't guarantee that. I think right now, the focus needs to be on spectacular specials throughout 2009(started with Letters to Santa) and then a feature film in 2010. Which seems to be the plan.

Besides... getting a new TV show off the ground this late in the game probably wouldn't work... By the time the movie rolled around, the show would barely be in its first season.

I agree. A movie is actually easier to release and market than a television series these days. It's this self-contained product that if correctly marketed and modestly budgeted can usually recoup its cost as a DVD if it doesn't make it at the box office. I'd like nothing better than a television series but the YouTube, muppets.com and MySpace approach costs Disney nothing while it reaps direct-marketing benefits. Also, we'll likely get another TV special before the theatrical film. Ooooh, I hope so.

I just hope this new film will be better than Muppets From Space.

Me too!

 

[unclematt]

I love the route Disney is taking right now. They are getting alot of free publicity, put out LTS and are probably working on at least one more special before the major motion picture. And after the film we should be looking for a series. Lets hope it all works out that way. But honestly this is the first time I have been happy with what Disney is doing with the Muppets.

 

[BobThePizzaBoy]

Since we were just talking Narnia and it's bad release date, when do you guys think Disney should release this movie? I'm pretty sure Disney doesn't want to release it during the January-April death season for movies or right around back to school time.

Looking over the movies being released in 2010, I personally think Disney shouldn't go with a summer slot for the Muppets. They'll be up against Iron Man 2, Shrek Goes Fourth and more importantly, Toy Story 3. I think Disney executives know Toy Story 3 is going to stand quite a bit of ground that summer with family audiences. Me personally, Disney should go for a holiday season slot. Thanksgiving weekend might be a good choice, kids will be home from school and the Muppets would benefit from parents wanting to take their kids to see something that'll keep them quiet for an hour and a half. Moreover, it'll have legs to carry it over to Christmas.

So, you Disney folks who may be reading this, I'd say look into a November 24, 2010 release date. That is all.

 

[frogboy4]

I would pick October. It's a season for scary movies or sleepers so it's usually void of many options. It provides a needed alternative and a month or so before anything else could steal its thunder.

Saw 6 or The Next Muppet Movie? The Lake House 2 or The Muppets to the Rescue? Oprah's Book Club Movie or The Muppets Strike Back? You get the drift. By the time October rolls around people are settled after the Summer season and are itching for something fun to bridge the time before the holiday season.

 

[Drtooth]

Since we were just talking Narnia and it's bad release date, when do you guys think Disney should release this movie? I'm pretty sure Disney doesn't want to release it during the January-April death season for movies or right around back to school time.

Looking over the movies being released in 2010, I personally think Disney shouldn't go with a summer slot for the Muppets. They'll be up against Iron Man 2, Shrek Goes Fourth and more importantly, Toy Story 3. I think Disney executives know Toy Story 3 is going to stand quite a bit of ground that summer with family audiences. Me personally, Disney should go for a holiday season slot. Thanksgiving weekend might be a good choice, kids will be home from school and the Muppets would benefit from parents wanting to take their kids to see something that'll keep them quiet for an hour and a half. Moreover, it'll have legs to carry it over to Christmas.

So, you Disney folks who may be reading this, I'd say look into a November 24, 2010 release date. That is all.

Tell me about it... As I said, had Narnia gone up against Twilight (once again, there is a specific religious purpose I'd hate to get into of why it would have worked), it probably would have gotten better BO receppts. But I will say, no one really expected that Iron Man would have done as well as it did, since Marvel's films have been hit or miss (mostly miss) outside of Spider-Man. And Iron Man isn't really all that mainstream (again, compared with Spider-Man who had multiple cartoon series, an appearance on The Electric Company, a Parade balloon, and a bizarre Japanese Power Rangers/Kamen Rider type series to name a few). One thing I think we can all agree on is that we had a hugely competitive summer... Even Warner Bros pushed over the next Harry Potter film because of Twilight, and the fact that 2009 is going to be a light year, no thanks to the strike a year ago....

And I would deduce that anytime outside of summer film season would be great...

Saw 6 or The Next Muppet Movie? The Lake House 2 or The Muppets to the Rescue? Oprah's Book Club Movie or The Muppets Strike Back? You get the drift. By the time October rolls around people are settled after the Summer season and are itching for something fun to bridge the time before the holiday season.

My point exactly, despite the fact that people will always see a terrible horror film like Saw 67 no matter what. October and early November before the Christmas season hits is when people clamor for the "Smart" films... and while some of them are really good, none of them can really gain attention of casual movie goers that don't want something depressing or heavy handed. A perfect choice for a nice, jolly Muppet film, I concur.

 

[Super Scooter]

I would pick October. It's a season for scary movies or sleepers so it's usually void of many options. It provides a needed alternative and a month or so before anything else could steal its thunder.

I agree with October. It would be the first time a Muppet movie would be released at that time, but it seems like it would work well (except that I'm not looking forward to waiting until October of 2010).

The first three Muppet movies were all early summer releases, and it worked well for them. But Muppets From Space was also a summer release, and it didn't do so well. Possibly because 1999 was a big year for movies.

Muppet Treasure Island was the only Muppet movie so far to be released in February, and it did very well at that time. What problems do movies released early in the year face?

My vote would be either February or October.

 

[frogboy4]

I agree with October. It would be the first time a Muppet movie would be released at that time, but it seems like it would work well (except that I'm not looking forward to waiting until October of 2010).

The first three Muppet movies were all early summer releases, and it worked well for them. But Muppets From Space was also a summer release, and it didn't do so well. Possibly because 1999 was a big year for movies.

Muppet Treasure Island was the only Muppet movie so far to be released in February, and it did very well at that time. What problems do movies released early in the year face?

My vote would be either February or October.

For some reason people stay home from the cinema in January and February. The industry has changed and it's so easy for a film to open and close in less than a week.

Muppets From Space disappeared very quickly. I think it was largely considered a mess by those in charge and they wanted to dump it on home video ASAP were it could more easily cash in. It couldn't even recoup its budget worldwide - a first for a Muppet picture. So that's what I think happened. It made a pit stop in the theaters, but was anticipated to fail. MFS really plays better for home viewing.

Whenever Disney places this new movie we can rest assured that they want it to do well in the theaters as well as home video.

 

[unclematt]

I wish we could forget about Muppets From Space. It was a terrible concept for a movie. It didnt hold true to the typical Muppet frame for a movie. Where were the songs? We need to forget about it. I know many are going to disagree but in my mind it cheapens the memories I have of the Muppets and I want to forget it.

 

[Drtooth]

For some reason people stay home from the cinema in January and February. The industry has changed and it's so easy for a film to open and close in less than a week.

Well... again, technically they do make a lot of films that seem to last from February vacation to about Spring Break... basically to match regional school vacations. Disney did that for a while, and put stuff like Recess, Doug, and some of their theatrical "Cheapquals" it seemed to be mildly successful for them... plus, I'm seeing a lot more Late March/ Early April films... TMNT came out in March, as did Meet the Robinsons, and they did pretty good. Ice Age 1 and 2 came out that time too...

Muppets From Space disappeared very quickly. I think it was largely considered a mess by those in charge and they wanted to dump it on home video ASAP were it could more easily cash in. It couldn't even recoup its budget worldwide - a first for a Muppet picture. So that's what I think happened. It made a pit stop in the theaters, but was anticipated to fail. MFS really plays better for home viewing.

Whenever Disney places this new movie we can rest assured that they want it to do well in the theaters as well as home video.

A perfect summation... There were a LOT of movies around that year that were made basically to do well enough for themselves on a smaller level that year. Remember, Star Wars ep 1 was the big movie of that year. Stuff like Inspector Gadget and Dudley Do-Right seemed to be made so they could have a couple family diversions during that summer season... MFS was clearly one of them. And anyway, most Muppet movies do a lot better on video anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if Elmo in Grouchland was basically theatrically released just to advertise that it would be on video soon (mainly cuz Elmo's core fan base was way too young to take to a movie theater, and it just plays better on video anyway, except for that horrible pan and scan job they did on it).

But if there's one thing I want to see its a movie production value. That's what I loved about most of LTS... even though it seemed a little vacant at times, it felt like a movie and not a TV special... VMX was sort of movie like, but still felt like a telefilm... Oz looked directly like a telefilm (and I'd gather KSY did too, I STILL didn't see it).

 

[unclematt]

What do you think made LTS feel like a motion picture?