Frank Oz Talking ‘The Muppets,’ ‘Sesame Street’ and Dark Crystal Prequel

[Duke Remington]

If anyone is entitled to have his own opinion on Muppets, it's Frank Oz.

Not always. He's not always right. Nobody is infallible, including him.

Not really. Having a less-than-favorable opinion of a media production and telling people where they got it wrong does not exactly qualify as "insulting".

No, but his attitude needs improvement. That's what I was saying.

 

[dwayne1115]

He has done that!
After the 2011 movie Frank and veteran Muppet writer Jim Lewis submitted their script of " Cheapest" at the same time that Most Wanted was submitted. Cheapest was rejected, and Most Wanted was green lit.
So you will hear Frank say simi positive things about the 2011 movie, but not Most Wanted.

 

[Duke Remington]

He has done that!
After the 2011 movie Frank and veteran Muppet writer Jim Lewis submitted their script of " Cheapest" at the same time that Most Wanted was submitted. Cheapest was rejected, and Most Wanted was green lit.
So you will hear Frank say simi positive things about the 2011 movie, but not Most Wanted.

Actually, Frank has said positive things about Most Wanted. You're still mixing up your history, Dwayne, and so is Jim Lewis.

Oz and Lewis submitted their "Cheapest" script in 2009 which was rejected in favor of Jason Segel's 2011 movie script, which was what Frank has said negative things about, accusing that film of being "too safe" and that it should've been more "cutting edge".

Unless they may have tried submitting that script again after the 2011 movie's release, only for it to be rejected again due to them not pushing hard enough for it, just like back in 2009.

They can always keep trying again and again and again until they yes and greenlight it.

 

[Duke Remington]

Yep! From what I heard, everyone who worked with Debbie holds her in high esteem. If that would happen, and if she indeed has this kind of power, it might be the miracle breakthrough for the Muppets many of us are hoping for.

There's also the fact that The Muppets Studio is currently part of Disney's Consumer Products & Interactive Media division and not an independent studio like Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, etc.

So it seems that another thing that would make a huge difference is if The Muppets Studio were to break away from the Consumer Products division and become its own fully-independent subsidiary with its own specific management team (including Debbie McClellan as its president) just like Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, etc. That way, they'll be fully free to do things their own way and crank out more product for sure, so let's hope that the Muppets' next projects will become popular and profitable enough so they can be able to fully sustain themselves both creatively and financially and gain that kind of independence.

 

[Grumpo]

Frank said, when asked about The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made:

"It was something that Jerry Juhl and Jim originally wrote about 40 years ago. When Dick Cook was head of Disney, he asked me to get involved with a Muppet movie, so because the previous script was dated from being written 40 years ago, I did rewrite it with the help of Jim Lewis. And personally, I love it. And I wish it could be made. But maybe it's time now is gone because it feels like Disney would like to go their own way."

Dick Cook stepped down in 2009, and Siegel's movie was announced in 2008, so that should make Cheapest first run against Muppets 2011.

As per his interview at the time, Frank always had mixed feelings about Muppets 2011 because of the same concerns:

"I turned it down, I wasn’t happy with the script. I don’t think they respected the characters. But I don’t want to go on about it like a sourpuss and hurt the movie."

His latest quote about it, and about hating when things get oversentimental in general, was apparently gleefully picked up for a shock value, out all the things he said in the interview which, per his twit, was to be "about my directing process only. No Yoda or Muppets talk."

* * *​

There's also the fact that The Muppets Studio is currently part of Disney's Consumer Products & Interactive Media division and not an independent studio like Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, etc.

So it seems that another thing that would make a huge difference is if The Muppets Studio were to break away from the Consumer Products division and become its own fully-independent subsidiary with its own specific management team (including Debbie McClellan as its president) just like Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, etc. That way, they'll be fully free to do things their own way and crank out more product for sure, so let's hope that the Muppets' next projects will become popular and profitable enough so they can be able to fully sustain themselves both creatively and financially and gain that kind of independence.

^^ Hear, hear!
Amen to anything which would allow the Muppets to do things their own way!
We can only hope that could happen.

 

[Grumpo]

Just found another link, interesting story: as per Muppet Fandom article on D23 Expo 2009:

On Friday, September 11, the Muppets made a surprise appearance on the Mark Twain Riverboat (a smaller replica of the Disneyland attraction) during the "Disney Movie Magic: Inside the Disney Studios" arena presentation. It was announced that they were working on a new movie, The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made!. It was later set aside in favor of The Muppets.

Dang! They almost had it made!

(P.S. Updated the image -- the video was for D23 Expo 2011)

 

[Duke Remington]

Just found another link, interesting story: as per Muppet Fandom article on D23 Expo 2009:

On Friday, September 11, the Muppets made a surprise appearance on the Mark Twain Riverboat (a smaller replica of the Disneyland attraction) during the "Disney Movie Magic: Inside the Disney Studios" arena presentation. It was announced that they were working on a new movie, The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made!. It was later set aside in favor of The Muppets.

Dang! They almost had it made!

The Muppets Studio could be more likely to greenlight such projects if they became an independent subsidiary not at the mercy of Consumer Products. Let's hope that breaking away from Consumer Products and becoming independent is part of The Muppets Studio's long-term business plans.

 

[dwayne1115]

Actually, Frank has said positive things about Most Wanted. You're still mixing up your history, Dwayne, and so is Jim Lewis.

Oz and Lewis submitted their "Cheapest" script in 2009 which was rejected in favor of Jason Segel's 2011 movie script, which was what Frank has said negative things about, accusing that film of being "too safe" and that it should've been more "cutting edge".

Unless they may have tried submitting that script again after the 2011 movie's release, only for it to be rejected again due to them not pushing hard enough for it, just like back in 2009.

They can always keep trying again and again and again until they yes and greenlight it.

Ah of course I'm so glad you have such a better understanding of how things went down. Especially when I was talking to a few people involved and was sworn to secrecy. The only reason I feel somewhat comfortable saying anything is because Frank made it public.

 

[Grumpo]

 

[Duke Remington]

Ah of course I'm so glad you have such a better understanding of how things went down. Especially when I was talking to a few people involved and was sworn to secrecy. The only reason I feel somewhat comfortable saying anything is because Frank made it public.

You’re all still wrong and contradicting everything, though.