If I May...
I think it's pretty clear there would be no film, no dream renaissance, none of this if it wasn't for Segal aggressively lobbying every day to Disney on the heels of his successful movie and tv show at the time.
Everyone associated with the Muppets was dragging their feet for years and putting in half-baked attempts before Segel came along with his idea. He could have signed his own ticket for any project with Disney, but he chose the Muppets. Segel was the fresh ingredient to propel Kermit and company from 12 years of cinematic stagnance. Even though i'm not keen on dubbing him a Muppet Jesus, i do give him credit for being the heart behind this project that so many people are responding to.
Seriously, if all it took was for someone like him to just submit a script to Disney for a new movie, I'd say anyone, like Prawnie for example, could've done the same... him, I'd gladly dub a Muppet Savior, his fanfics are always top-notch, true to the characters, and are written with a lot of heart and soul, he could probably write a fantastic movie.
First off... it isn't JUST a manner of someone submitting a script. We could all submit scripts, and they wouldn't get the time of day because they're UNSOLICITED. It's that combination of script, famous name, and constant pestering and lobbying to get the movie out there. If Segal wasn't a big name, none of this would have been possible. If he didn't insist on Henson doing the Dracula Musical Puppets, this wouldn't have been imaginable.
Oh sure, we could see the same people make another Muppet project, maybe another theme DTV movie or telefilm or hour long special. it would be so so, it would have it's moments, but overall it would lack something. Even if that were theatrically released, it would get a very late July- August "who cares? We'll just make it back on DVD" release date, and it would be chock full of cringe worthy C list cameos like the last time because those are the only people who will respond. Unless it was a telefilm, then it would be chock full of people on the Fall line up. I think Jim and Kirk and those guys are doing a great job and are capable of good things, but there's such a wishy washiness about the Muppet franchise since Jim passed. Let's face it. We need passionate new blood.
Now, I am not going to list the post Jim movies and what went wrong with them...but we know the basics we got theme movies and telefilms that were good, but lacked something great. MCC and MTI were the best written of the bunch... MCC is also the most BORING of the bunch. MOz was just a hot mess that tried to capture the lightning in a bottle VMX had (that's not without its problems either, but it worked for that time). It seemed with every movie they gained a piece of what was missing, but lost a bigger and bigger chunk of what they finally got. It was a long fine tuning and tweaking period. We all know that.
Jason's a "savior" of the film franchise much as Chris Nolan is a "savior" of the Batman movie franchise. To paraphrase the Joker, all it takes is one bad project. Just one that doesn't connect with an audience, one that gets terrible reviews, and ones even the die hardest of the fans want to completely forget about. Now, you don't have to love the Nolan Batman films, but don't kid yourself. They are REALLY successful, people really like them, and when you look at the film that destroyed the franchise, "Batman and Robin," ANYTHING would have been an improvement.
Our personal Muppet "Batman and Robin" was, theatrically with MFS (the factors on why that was screwed up are amazing), and again with the telefilm MOz. That seriously hurt Disney's handling of the franchise EVEN though it was started just before the buyout. Let's face it. it was a poor project to say "This is what we're going to do." And even the idea, frankly, terrible. Inadvisable. And what happened? Management shifted to ennui, a world wide tour ended after 1 stop, and they were shoved into a closet for 3 years. And that wasn't even THEIR project.
Jason brought a passion and vision to the franchise that was lacking even when they were in Henson's hands. But it was a real uphill trying to get Disney to get THAT script and not just do their own. Since the movie got buzz, we got websites, viral videos, amazing comic books, and the Balloon in the Macy's parade kept getting funded year after year (instead of another flash in the pan advertising mascot).
As for the film, I haven't seen one bit that came out that didn't reassure me this was the right thing to do. I've said it before, I'm not looking for TMM or GMC greatness, but I am looking for something far superior than MFS was... heck, I'd say this is superior to MCC at this point. When I watch the Simpsons, I'm not looking for another Homer's Barbershop Quartet or Krusty gets Kancelled, but I don't want to see another that episode where they go to Africa or the one where Lisa is in a spelling bee (though the Hot plate bit and the McRib plotline were chuckle worthy). I am a LOYAL follower of this franchise, but if we saw Muppet Sense and Sensablility or Muppet War and Peace where Kermit was a tertiary character and everyone else had brief cameos, I wouldn't be excited at all. I'd watch them, say "eh... that was fun" and then forget about it weeks later.
EDIT: I DO have a problem with the fact checking this report had. Uh... no... they've had a TV special in 2002, a DTV same time, a massive action figure line that encouraged a LOT of other merchandise to follow, another TV film in 2005 and another Christmas special in 2009.
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