Disney Enlists Segel & Stoller for new Muppets movie

[ploobis]

It's cool if Eric plays Frank's characters for the new movie. I was just curious about what Segel wants for this new and exciting movie.

Also, On the TV Guid channel I heard segel say that he kinda felt sorry about Disney owning The Muppets.

 

[uppitymuppity]

Why can't Eric and Frank both be involved... Geez

I totally agree Jimhensonhour - it is like a bonk on the head to hear negative things about someone who has brought us so much joy no matter what he's done of late.

Frank definitely still has it in him and Eric would be great too; think BIG get 'em all in there!

 

[frogboy4]

(Somewhat) briefly about Frank...

I have nothing but admiration for Frank Oz as a Muppeteer and a filmmaker.

He left the Muppets to pursue other things, such as being a darn good director, and I find that fantastic. He was working with the Henson and the Muppets since his teenage years. Not many people keep the same job for that long. Even before Jim died he started to move away from the Muppets and after Jim's death he pretty much dubbed in many of his performances. Frank himself has been publicly evasive and fairly dismissive about returning to the Muppets as a performer.

So much of the Muppets magic happens in the moment. That spark is what makes them different than animated characters. There's almost a live theater experience with the Muppet gang that loses something when an entire character's vocal performance is looped. I am so glad they finally assigned Frank's characters to Eric. He has taken good care of them and has slid in much more seamlessly with the public than Whitmire's Kermit did (and Steve does a great job too).

If Frank decided to come back for the whole film and shoot all of his parts live I'd be thrilled - - and hope behind the scenes footage was shot and kept for the DVD! It's not that I don't want Oz to return, I just think it's far-fetched for him to want to come back. It's also nice for the characters to have a consistent performer. Eric Jacobson appears spirited and dedicated to the characters in a way that Oz has little time for anymore - and that's okay. I'm sure he has Frank's blessing! He probably helped train him to some extent. Fozzie and the Pig are lovingly cared for. That’s a good thing.

If Dave Goelz ever decided to leave we’d have a riot on our hands. I tell you that! He really is the heart of the classic Muppets now.

 

[uppitymuppity]

Frogboy - I think we all understand the points about Frank Oz' departure and you state them very well but, aren't you forgetting that even up until as late as last year Frank still performed for Sesame Street? He did 7 episodes in 2007 to be exact. This whole idea that he completely abandoned Jim Henson's world is a lot of hogwash!

He's probably looking for a paycheck and Sesame which remains viable pays the man whereas the muppets tanked.

 

[Drtooth]

Okay, I'm just gonna say a few things here...

I'm probably with you on Sam the Eagle's portrayal in VMX. Mainly because they lost the potential to have him, in the alternate universe, become an ultra-left wing radio host supporting the arts. I've said it. That's been a monkey on my back for years. Think about it. Sam is the way he is because he had nothing BUT exposure to crazy artists. Without that exposure, he'd want them to run wild and free, right?

I'm all for Frank returning if HE wants to. It's his call. If he wants to let Eric perform his characters while he's busy with his film career, that's his decision. If he wants to come back and perform select characters for this film, it's his decision. if he wants to meet the product halfway (what I'm hoping for) and he wants to direct the film, it's his decision. We can support him either way, but it's his career, and whatever he wants to do with it is up to him.

As for Charles Grodin... well, you think the 2 screenwriters are gonna be upset they just spoiled a major surprise in the film? It's great to hear this. Wonderful news... but if they kept it a secret, wouldn't we have been that much more excited?

Other than the style of humor, I doubt we'd see anything we'd see in Sarah MArshal, 40 Year old Virgin, or Knocked up out of these 2 in this script. I could list a bunch of things they could do in their next films too, but we'll be seeing a g or maybe PG film. they know what they want to see, they know what we want to see. If we want to see one of their more adult comedies, then they plan to have them the same way they've been making them. Clearly, they are thinking of younger audiences at this point.

And lastly lastly... I always kinda thought Scooter Cage Dancin' was funny.

 

[RedPiggy]

10. Only classic characters for the main and supporting roles please. The newer, “Muppets Tonight”-era characters were a good idea in theory to breathe some new life into the Muppets, but Pepe or Clifford should not have starring roles in this production.

Then...

Young people today don’t know the Muppets as well as we do, and what a perfect way to introduce them to the characters. Don’t dumb it down for the children; instead give them a movie that they can revisit ten years later and pick up on stuff they never even noticed before.

Now, I don't know a lot of the Muppets Tonight folks, except maybe the few that pop up regularly now (Jonny, Sal, Pepe). However, you know why these characters aren't as realized as the others?

BECAUSE PEOPLE ACT LIKE THEY'RE ALLERGIC TO THEM OR SOMETHING!

How are these characters supposed to end up as cool as the classic muppets if they stay in the drawer (instead of the closet)? Since you say that the young-uns don't know the Muppets like we do ... why just stick to the Classic gen? The young-uns have NO preconceived notions to combat.

It's the same thing with the FR movie thing ... yes, you could make it to where you need to be approaching middle-age to appreciate it ... but why start off that way? Why not write it so the young-uns can like it too? Then, if you (insert desired plug here) make a new series or something ... THEN you can start introducing the classic concepts.

 

[Super Scooter]

I have nothing but admiration for Frank Oz as a Muppeteer and a filmmaker.

He left the Muppets to pursue other things, such as being a darn good director, and I find that fantastic. He was working with the Henson and the Muppets since his teenage years. Not many people keep the same job for that long. Even before Jim died he started to move away from the Muppets and after Jim's death he pretty much dubbed in many of his performances. Frank himself has been publicly evasive and fairly dismissive about returning to the Muppets as a performer.

So much of the Muppets magic happens in the moment. That spark is what makes them different than animated characters. There's almost a live theater experience with the Muppet gang that loses something when an entire character's vocal performance is looped. I am so glad they finally assigned Frank's characters to Eric. He has taken good care of them and has slid in much more seamlessly with the public than Whitmire's Kermit did (and Steve does a great job too).

If Frank decided to come back for the whole film and shoot all of his parts live I'd be thrilled - - and hope behind the scenes footage was shot and kept for the DVD! It's not that I don't want Oz to return, I just think it's far-fetched for him to want to come back. It's also nice for the characters to have a consistent performer. Eric Jacobson appears spirited and dedicated to the characters in a way that Oz has little time for anymore - and that's okay. I'm sure he has Frank's blessing! He probably helped train him to some extent. Fozzie and the Pig are lovingly cared for. That’s a good thing.

I agree. And I don't think my comments about Frank have ever been negative at all, at least that's not what I intended. I love his work with the Muppets, and the majority of his directorial work. If anything, I've spent half my time on this forum defending people like Frank Oz and Steve Whitmire and Bill Barretta and Eric Jacobson... I think even had to defend Jim Henson once!

As Jamie said, and as I had originally meant, "So much of the Muppets magic happens in the moment." That was my only point, really. So much of the character comes from the fact that the vocal performance is linked directly to what the hand is doing. That's my only point. I would love to see Frank Oz's participation in this, but I also think the characters feel very distant when they're just dubbed.

 

[TheJimHensonHour]

Certainly this beloved franchise will not go the same route that Underdog, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have.[/FONT]

Ummm I don't know what Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles you're watching but the Modern day TMNT have never been closer to the real comic books that started it all.
And this is coming from a hardcore fan who has everything.

 

[frogboy4]

Wha...

Frogboy - I think we all understand the points about Frank Oz' departure and you state them very well but, aren't you forgetting that even up until as late as last year Frank still performed for Sesame Street? He did 7 episodes in 2007 to be exact. This whole idea that he completely abandoned Jim Henson's world is a lot of hogwash!

He's probably looking for a paycheck and Sesame which remains viable pays the man whereas the muppets tanked.

Frank has provided the occasional Sesame character performance when he drops by the Sesame Street set for a day or two to film a succession of segments, but that's pretty much it. I didn't say he completely left.

For some reason your comments on this topic are becoming needlessly prickly. I think you might be reading between the lines in this thread for a sentiment that isn’t present. Nobody has had anything but praise for the work of Frank Oz. I personally never stated that he “completely abandoned” the world of Jim Henson or the Muppets. It is a fact that his moved on and away from puppeteering (with the rare exception for a couple of days out of the year).

I doubt Frank Oz is motivated by a money factor concerning the Muppets. I also doubt he’d want to spend two or three months Muppeteering on a film set these days. If any project would get him back – this would be it. It will be interesting to see what happens either way. This would be the first theatrical film that wouldn’t have Muppets voiced by him. I personally don’t care for the dubbed approach and with Eric Jacobson it really isn’t necessary anymore. That more anything is what I hope is avoided.

The Muppet Show season two DVD extras that included unreleased interviews containing his Fozzie, Animal and Piggy really did shine so I know he still has what it takes – in excess.

Nobody's landed. Everybody here loves Frank and most of us are Mupptastically happy about this film being made!

 

[uppitymuppity]

Prickly? Every other post is this & that about how Frank can't, won't, don't do it. Several other people have made the same comments I have - that there's a we bit of awkward feelings on here toward Frank Oz. I think i'm just being observant.

But, I respect your opinions Frogboy. Frank Oz is simply an extension of Henson in my opinion. All those original performers birthed it along with Jim.

And, Hollywood loves money - we worship it... Frank Oz is probably jumping into a big vat of it at this very moment!