The New Movie: The Muppets

[Psammeadboi]

D23 Expo: Disney Announces The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made! Source:Silas Lesnick September 11, 2009


Roaring applause from Disney fans filled the Anaheim Convention Center Arena as the Muppets took the stage, performing a song and dance number live on-stage. At the conclusion of the performance, Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook officially announced that the upcoming Muppet film (written by Jason Segel) will be titled The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made.

This title references an old title, developed Jim Henson in 1985 but never produced that would have featured Gonzo directing a Hollywood film and quickly blowing the project's budget. Though unconfirmed, it is likely that this new film will mirror the same storyline.

Saw this at comingsoon.net as a headline! What an announcement!

 

[BEAR]

Were any of the performers there, such as Steve Whitmire or Dave Goelz?

Man, I could have been there too if I didn't have to work (right across the street)! I wish I can go to D23, but it's pretty pricey. Any word on any more appearances through the weekend there?

 

[The Count]

Hi Bry. Besides paying to be a member, which I'm not sure if it's required, entry to D23 costs about $40. An there will indeed be another Muppet presentation, the main one we knew about on Sunday afternoon around 1-ish PM.

 

[MrsPepper]

D23 Expo: Disney Announces The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made! Source:Silas Lesnick September 11, 2009


Roaring applause from Disney fans filled the Anaheim Convention Center Arena as the Muppets took the stage, performing a song and dance number live on-stage. At the conclusion of the performance, Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook officially announced that the upcoming Muppet film (written by Jason Segel) will be titled The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made.

This title references an old title, developed Jim Henson in 1985 but never produced that would have featured Gonzo directing a Hollywood film and quickly blowing the project's budget. Though unconfirmed, it is likely that this new film will mirror the same storyline.

Saw this at comingsoon.net as a headline! What an announcement!

I was gonna say, that is a very old script idea and well known to the fans, so that's so cool that they are making it!

 

[GuySmileyfan]

WHEE! I'm so excited! WHOPPEE!

 

[Gelfling Girl]

OMG! New movie!

 

[BEAR]

Hi Bry. Besides paying to be a member, which I'm not sure if it's required, entry to D23 costs about $40. An there will indeed be another Muppet presentation, the main one we knew about on Sunday afternoon around 1-ish PM.

Yeah...for non-members it's about $37. For members, I think it's somewhat less, but you still have to pay the cost of the year membership, I think. I wish I could, but I'm trying to save money on other things right now. Oh well...there's always the next thing like this. Atleast some of the MCers went to see it and we can get the news from them.

 

[dwmckim]

Official confirmation of a new movie is great news - that the announcement was made not during the scheduled Muppet presentation but during Dick Cook' address is even better as that shows how firmly Disney is (and on such public record) towards the 2010 relaunch. But i have mixed feelings about the news.

For those who weren't around back then, i was the one who first broke the news about the concept of "The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made" when i conducted one of Muppet Central's first celebrity interviews with Jerry Juhl. This is a movie that the Muppet team had often thought about doing and one that they would come back to considering doing for over two decades now. I would love to see this movie actually get made.

Now this is something that Juhl had worked on as had Jim himself as far as developing...way before anyone ever heard of Jason Segel so where exactly does he fit into this and why is he getting all the credit?

We know he had written a draft for a script called The Greatest Muppet Movie Ever Made (and the similarities in script title probably isn't a coincidence - he probably was aware of CHEAPEST when he came up with the title...methinks Segel may be a frequent MC visitor...maybe even a lurker on the board?) but all indications are that the whole storyline/concept was very different. At least two people have read the script and reviewed it online (aintitcoolnews and toughpigs) and the two are very different movies.

So what happened in the meantime? Did Disney pass on GREATEST but decided that they'd like Segel to do a rewrite of CHEAPEST? Did Segel hand in more than one pitch to Disney (and i hope he isn't plaigirizing the idea)?

Now i'll say it again, i've long wanted to see CHEAPEST get made and hope it does at some point. But i don't really think it's the best choice for the big 2010 movie that was going to be the highpoint of the Muppets' relauch. GREATEST seems more like a film that was written specifically to reintroduce the public to the Muppets and celebrate everything that makes them great. I really want to see that movie made next (CHEAPEST could come later...and wouldn't that be hilarious to have THE GREATEST MUPPET MOVIE EVER MADE followed by THE CHEAPEST MUPPET MOVIE EVER MADE ... or vice versa - but CHEAPEST following GREATEST is funnier imo - esp since how does one follow a project titled THE GREATEST MUPPET MOVIE EVER MADE?)

In many ways, CHEAPEST was a bit of a social commentary and inside joke of the state the Muppets were in in terms of struggling with financial backing...now they have the full Disney machine firmly behind them and the whole kind of issues that fueled the humor/irony of a film like CHEAPEST don't really apply at present. It's a great idea - one that should be made at some point, but i think it's the wrong movie at the wrong time.

Plus it kind of derails the momentum on the whole press coveridge and buzz that was generated by Segel's script that he was writing specifically for the Muppets' relaunch. This changes the whole "story" from that of noted actor/writer/filmmaker comes up with original script that relaunches the Muppets to basically serving as a pass writer on an old idea.

We'll probably have a lot more answers on what led to the change from GREATEST to CHEAPEST and how Segel actually fits into it...heck it could actually be a bit of a gag where tomorrow the Muppets take the stage and announce that Disney is now officially committed to the Muppets and the response from Disney fans towards the Muppets at D23 has been so great that they are "now" changing the movie from THE CHEAPEST MUPPET MOVIE EVER MADE to THE *GREATEST* MUPPET MOVIE EVER MADE to thunderous applause and a standing ovation.

We'll see what happens but man i'm really pulling for Segel's original idea to be the basis of the next film. CHEAPEST can always be done later - AFTER the big relaunch.

 

[Fluffets]

Surely the cheapest was Kermit's attempt in the muppet movie, for gods sake he used cardboard cut-outs! And everything got knocked over!

 

[Gelfling Girl]

Surely the cheapest was Kermit's attempt in the muppet movie, for gods sake he used cardboard cut-outs! And everything got knocked over!

LOL. Although they probably had to pay for the roof.