Jason Segel talks The Muppets and his inspiration

[beaker]

So, has principal started on the Muppet film yet? And do we know confirmed big names starring and or with cameos?

 

[Mupp]

So, has principal started on the Muppet film yet? And do we know confirmed big names starring and or with cameos?

Filming was supposed to start this month. If so, its possible that they are just being hush-hush about it.

 

[theprawncracker]

So, has principal started on the Muppet film yet? And do we know confirmed big names starring and or with cameos?

Filming has not started yet--that's the last I heard. I think they're now looking at late October, early November, but don't quote me on that. And the call for actors listed George Clooney and Ben Stiller as being in the film.

 

[beaker]

Filming has not started yet--that's the last I heard. I think they're now looking at late October, early November, but don't quote me on that. And the call for actors listed George Clooney and Ben Stiller as being in the film.

Excellent. I can imagine there will be a number of very cool little cameos. My concern is just that there's no parodies as there seems to always be in Muppet films/specials of the last decade or so.

 

[Mupp]

Filming has not started yet--that's the last I heard. I think they're now looking at late October, early November, but don't quote me on that. And the call for actors listed George Clooney and Ben Stiller as being in the film.

Thanks for update.

I'm hoping that when filming starts, the MuppetsStudio will mention it on Twitter, that will help generate excitement.

 

[beaker]

Yes, I agree. There's no doubt about that.

Most of Disney's direct to video sequels have been pure garbage.
And on top of that, most of them have had horrible animation.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2 was garbage, and it looked hideous. The opening shot (a POV shot looking inside a huge bell) looked like it was animated by someone still in school. The perspective changes in the shot were terrible and distracting.

The good news is, as you noted, that Disney has stopped doing DTV sequels. The Little Mermaid 3 was the last one.

The Tinker Bell movies are in a different category. But I have seen them (except the most recent one) and the stories have been pretty good. John Lasseter has made sure that they treat these movies with respect.

The point is, this is Pixar we're talking about. Just becuase they are making a couple of sequels doesn't mean that they have run out of ideas. Regardless of why they are making them, the important thing is that they will make a quality project.
They killed themselves to get Toy Story 2 delivered on time pushing animators to their limits by adding special effects and changing story elements even after much of it was animated.
And I still shutter to think that if they hadn't taken the time to fix things, instead of Jessie, today we would have Senorita Cactus.
And last I heard, something similar is happening with Cars 2. Originally, Lasseter was not going to direct it, but then he went to help work on the story problems, so who knows? Now he might very well have a director credit on the film, and perhaps the storyline has changed since the last time we heard about the premise.

As I said before, some people would LOVE to see these characters come back in new stories.
That was one of the many issues of Disney's DTV sequels, nobody wanted to see a sequel to films like Lady and the Tramp or Cinderella.

So, I don't have a problem with Pixar making a couple of sequels.

Still, its a shame about Newt.

There have been a FEW DTV "cheapquels" I did enjoy, chiefly:
Aladdin 3, Kronk's New Groove, Tarzan 2, and the two Lion King ones.

Though I found it odd how some of these "sequels" were merely 3 episodes of a tv show bookenended with new animation(they did this with most the Pooh sequels, Tarzan and Jane, etc)

I myself welcome more Emperor's New Groove sequels and a Fantasia sequel, as I consider New Groove and Fantasia 2000 my favorite Disney animated films of the last decade.

 

[beaker]

That's really why they're killing themselves over Cars 2, isn't it? Dreamworks poaching them is one thing...you expect it, but they have moved on... but come on. Lionsgate? Blue Sky? Do we even care if Lionsgate makes a crappy CGI film?

If they canceled Newt over Rango, so be it...Rango looks nothing short of visionary from the trailers I've seen. While I don't like most non Pixar cgi faire, now and then ones come out that blow me away(like MvA, Robots, etc)

Still, I rather see Newt than Cars 2...I absolutely loathe NASCAR and the whole culture around it.

 

[Mupp]

Still, I rather see Newt than Cars 2...I absolutely loathe NASCAR and the whole culture around it.

You know, NASCAR is not what the film is all about, its much deeper than that.

 

[beaker]

You know, NASCAR is not what the film is all about, its much deeper than that.

Really, as I remember being bored to tears during the first Cars in theaters(I snuck in to see it and still wanted my money back) Good animation, guess it wasn't my thing. I can't give enough praise about Up or Rattatooie tho, and can't wait to see Toy Story 3.
Oddly enough, as much as I love 2001: A Space Odyssey, ambient films with little dialogue and robots...I also felt rather bored and underwhelmed by Wall*E...which is ironic as Disney pumped out an endless amount of merchandise for that movie but barely released any merchandise for Up.

 

[frogboy4]

You know, NASCAR is not what the film is all about, its much deeper than that.

I always felt that "Cars" sent the message that winning at any cost isn't really winning at all to the Nascar conservatives that followed the Karl Rove brand of dirty politics, but that's just me.

However, I didn't have the emotional connection that Pixar films usually give me.

oh yeah...and Rango looks fantastic!