Disney Enlists Segel & Stoller for new Muppets movie

[TheJimHensonHour]

pft Disney is going to do what Disney wants to do reguardless of what some angry fans say online, and you know those people will be put in there place.
Disney should take all of this and go wow these people are hard core, make a great film and then give them something to chew on while having it tatse good mind you

 

[dwayne1115]

pft Disney is going to do what Disney wants to do reguardless of what some angry fans say online, and you know those people will be put in there place.
Disney should take all of this and go wow these people are hard core, make a great film and then give them something to chew on while having it tatse good mind you

ha ha your so right in that

 

[Craig Crane]

Like most of you, I'm full of hope and anxiety, but unlike some of you, I'm not full of sarcasm and snottiness. (You know who you are.)

I hope I fall into that category, because you need to be able to see both sides to every story or opinion. It would take a miracle on Disneys part to come up with something new, fresh, original AND contemporary.

I am prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt, because I dont take any pleasure in seeing the Muppets fail. Im as passionate as the next fan. Always have, always will be.

 

[Drtooth]

Ya kidding? MWOZ sounded like a horrific idea to myself and many Muppet fans from the get go. Many of us knew it'd blow, and it exceded our expectations of crummyness.

I agree, I absolutely loathe Christmas Carol/Treasure Island/Muppet Oz. There should never again be the Muppets having to star in some classic retelling

That's why I was against Muppet Oz from the start. Only reason why the other two literary films worked was because of Jerry's script work. Personally, I like MCC as a christmas movie, but as a Muppet film, I find it dull. MTI was much better, though I would have cast a different, less effeminant Jim Hawkins. Plus, Miss Piggy seemed contractually pasted in at the end.

But Oz failed on the literary level, and the fact they didn't know who they wanted to watch it, and played to too many other groups, Tweens and frat boys. Plus, with the literary stories, the Muppets played second (in MCC's case, Third) to human actors. At least Treasure Island had a wackiness to it.

That's why, ironically, I think VMX and MFS are much better films. They had conceptual problems, no question, but the muppets actually Starred in it. VMX was about Kermit, MFS was about Gonzo. MCC was about Michael Cain, and MTI was about whoever played Jim Hawkins with Rizzo and Gonzo as comedic sidekicks (sort of like Philo and Gunge to Marjory the Trash Heap).

But I think your right with Stoller/Segal. I wish they could make it a PG film, instead of G. They may just be the team to really make people realize the Muppets arent some nostalgic trip, but hip and relevent for today.

I'd go for PG as well, since that seems like the biggest draw. It's a family movie, yes, but it's not as cloyingly sweet as mainstream people think G is. That's how 90% of animated films are marketed, even when they deserve a G rating. I was surprised to see Ratatoullie was rated G.

As long as we have original muppet music in this one, and it's composed by someone good. MFS had a funk track. Much as I like Funk, it just didin't work without anyone singing. VMX's only song was okay, but Oz only had one good song in the whole bunch - The Witch is in the House.

 

[TotallySpiesFan]

I hope this film needs to move forward to production.

 

[ryhoyarbie]

I think I'll wait and see where this little venture of writing goes to. They could write a muppet movie and the Disney execs might not like it. Then they'll go to the drawing board again.

Or they could create a muppet movie that turns out to be a stinker.

 

[minor muppetz]

Muppets Wiz of Oz was crap we all know that - but, do you realize how many years ago that was? I mean, Ashanti has fallen into obscurity and Disney has gone on to produce some of the most amazing works. Can I safely say that Ratatouille should have been in the best film category for the Oscars.

Yes, and also TMNT and The Simpsons Movie.

 

[MrsPepper]

YAY! I really hope that this movie happens.We are WAY overdue! It's true. This lists the number of years in between muppet movies:
TMM - GMC: 2 years
GMC - MTM: 3 years
MTM - MCC: 9 years
MCC - MTI: 3 years
MTI - MFS: 3 years
MFS - projected date of 2010: 11 years

Let's hope the 11 years has been worth the long wait! Until then I will be avidly checking for updates. **super-excited**

Well, the Made for TV, DTV films should count there as well. From MFS it was a 3 year wait for KSY and VMX, and a 2-3 year wait for MOZ. So it would be just a 9 year gap. project wise, the TV show gaps have been bigger. Muppets Tonight is pretty much 12+ years till the next Tv project. And that was 6 years in the making, since the Jim Henson Hour in 89. and that's just several years from The Muppet Show wrapping up.

Lol, I can't follow you at all, I'm so sorry. But in my post when I listed the years, I thought it was easy to see that I was only listing theatrical movies (I could have sworn I put the word theatrical in there but I must have forgotten by mistake). For one, there are too many tv movies and specials that don't fit into the pattern. Secondly, according to the article that Cory posted, this movie is supposed to be theatrical! And by the time this one comes out, it will have been 11 years since a theatrical release! And I am SO GLAD because no matter how awesome tv specials are, it won't be nearly as epic as a theatrically released muppet movie.

 

[Drtooth]

Well, that's the problem. DTVs and telefilms should count on some level, since they are actually doing much better than actual films. But theatrically speaking it's been quite some time. The longest since after Jim's Passing. I'm not getting my hopes up about a theatrical release, but hey... if they can keep making sequals to reamkes of Japanese horror films, and talking dog movie after talking dog movie, anything is possible.

 

[SarahOnBway]

I hope I fall into that category, because you need to be able to see both sides to every story or opinion. It would take a miracle on Disneys part to come up with something new, fresh, original AND contemporary.

I am prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt, because I dont take any pleasure in seeing the Muppets fail. Im as passionate as the next fan. Always have, always will be.

A miracle? Really? Disney may not be everyone's cup of tea, but they are SOARING right now. High School Musical, Hannah Montana--I don't like these at ALL but they are definitely all the rage today. Yes, we've seen High School Musical before (Grease and the like), but the current generation hadn't and they have embraced it more than anything else in the past few years. Enchanted was embraced by critics and fans and people have already mentioned the love Ratatouille gets (and deserves). Disney's definitely not creatively washed-up in the slightest.

Yes, they didn't know what to do with the Muppets when they got them, we've all noted that. But keep in mind that it was Michael Eisner who wanted the Muppets, not Bob Iger, and if Eisner had a plan, he certainly didn't seem to leave it behind when he left. Disney didn't know what to do with the Muppets--they weren't 2-D cardboard cutouts of characters like the Mickey gang (no offense but they are pretty shallow characters), they weren't readily marketable Princesses... They're unique. They had no clue what to do, as we've seen.

It seems like it's like what happens when you first become a parent. Most people don't know EXACTLY how to be a good parent from the beginning. They make mistakes. They learn. Disney trotted right out with MWoO thinking "oh this is what we can do with them" and learned very quickly that it was the wrong choice. So they seem to be taking their time with them, developing what might work. They've obviously been investigating this, even though we really haven't seen anything come from them publically, there have been too many accounts of different happenings for Disney to have been completely sitting on the Muppets for all these years.

Also, we have to accept that the Muppets are not Disney's top priority, which is very sad, but we kinda knew that getting into it (not that any of us had a choice in the matter). They're never going to be Disney's top priority. But that doesn't mean that they won't care to make quality work at all.

Anyway... I don't think we need a miracle. I just think we need faith.