New Muppet movie in development for potential 2013 release

[dwmckim]

IF that ends up being the final title, i'd love it if the soundtrack was full of songs like "Here You Come Again" and "Here Comes the Rain Again"

 

[jvcarroll]

I think the pic is from when Ricky did that cameo for the Muppets. I'm still a little skeptical about Ricky playing the lead here- normally his character style is one I really don't like and don't think is a good fit for the Muppets- he is usually insulting, demeaning and self-centered in a lot of his character roles so if this one is supposed to be similar that would make me nervous. If he is playing a different type of character, I would be interested to see if he could pull it off but wouldn't want the muppets to suffer because of it

LOVE that Tina Fey is going to be in it! Defninitely a great pick!

None of this "I don't think he's a good fit" or "his humor isn't right for the Muppets" sort of talk should make a lick of sense to any fan after viewing this:

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He easily stands his ground with Elmo without insult, condescension or talking down to the younger audience of Sesame Street. Ricky talks right to Elmo. He interacts directly with the character. It's all so free and easy and improvised and funny. He has such a good time here and I think audiences will have a good time watching him in a Muppet movie.​

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As for an "insulting" and "demeaning" type of humor, I will remind fans of Charles Grodin. His personality on screen and off is really prickly and his is one of the best human performances in a Muppet movie ever.​

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I could be wrong, but I think some fans' disapproval of Gervais stems from his vocal atheism and not his talent. I don't know what else it could be because he already has a proven trackrecord with Sesame Street and that's a tough gig with lots of hoops to jump through!​

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The Muppets work with all sorts from people from all types of backgrounds and Ricky's humor is a perfect fit for them! Nothing could be more Muppety.​

 

[Hubert]

Yeah, I'm really excited about Gervais in this. From all the times I've seen them, I feel like he will be that perfect fit for the Muppets as Jamie said. He's actually probably the human I'm most excited about, considering that I don't know Ty Burrell and Tina Fey quite as well (though I'm sure they'll also be good).

 

[LouisTheOtter]

I'm personally not a fan of Ricky Gervais (or his Golden Globes hosting style) but I'm sure he'll work just fine within the context of a Muppet movie, partly because of the above-posted Sesame clip and the previous comments. Remember, friends, this isn't "Ricky Gervais featuring The Muppets." This is a Muppet production, and Stoller, Bobin and Disney all know this. (And so does Gervais.)

Charles Grodin was a good example of a "prickly" actor who fit beautifully in the Muppet world. I might also point out that John Cleese put a great spin on his TMS appearance by playing the reluctant guest to such extremes that the episode is considered a classic, not just for TMS but television in general. And Cleese played his mild-mannered GMC role perfectly - no trace of prickliness there. (Is that a word? It is now.)

I can't believe how excited I got just from reading those tweets from Ricky Gervais and Matt Vogel. Matt was an absolute hero of the last movie, bringing Floyd to a new generation of fans and elevating Uncle Deadly beyond anything I could have imagined, and I'm thrilled that he's back in the fold for the follow-up. I'm so excited for this new movie I can barely see straight!!!

And regardless of where that picture originated, it's still a hoot.

 

[Hubert]

This...it just feels great! Last time we started hearing about a Muppet movie, I proclaimed to my own walls about how excited I am, and now I realize how lonely I must have been. It is just so awesome that now I can finally be excited with a group of fans that have an understanding of why I'm so excited about Thog's appearance.

 

[Drtooth]

None of this "I don't think he's a good fit" or "his humor isn't right for the Muppets" sort of talk should make a lick of sense to any fan after viewing this:

Personally, I think none of it makes a lick of sense just reading his tweet.

This man is pretty much the happiest man on Earth just to work with the Muppets. I don't see why that isn't a good note to start off on. The happier a guest is working with the Muppets, the better the performance. It's not a "oh boy, this is the best you could do, Agent?" contractual obligation. It's a dream being fulfilled that actually has been and still makes him light up. We're going to see such brilliant chemistry coming from the Muppets and Gervais. You could always tell a Muppet Show guest that's completely uncomfortable to be there, and it made things awkward. No fears of that.

As for the title... I'm starting to think it should be "The Muppets Go Somewhere and Do Stuff." Or go the Dragonball Japanese overly long, spoiling the plot title. "Muppets Big Trouble in England! A Daring Last Second Rescue! Kermit saves the day!"

 

[Muppetfan44]

None of this "I don't think he's a good fit" or "his humor isn't right for the Muppets" sort of talk should make a lick of sense to any fan after viewing this:

​

​

He easily stands his ground with Elmo without insult, condescension or talking down to the younger audience of Sesame Street. Ricky talks right to Elmo. He interacts directly with the character. It's all so free and easy and improvised and funny. He has such a good time here and I think audiences will have a good time watching him in a Muppet movie.​

​

As for an "insulting" and "demeaning" type of humor, I will remind fans of Charles Grodin. His personality on screen and off is really prickly and his is one of the best human performances in a Muppet movie ever.​

​

I could be wrong, but I think some fans' disapproval of Gervais stems from his vocal atheism and not his talent. I don't know what else it could be because he already has a proven trackrecord with Sesame Street and that's a tough gig with lots of hoops to jump through!​

​

The Muppets work with all sorts from people from all types of backgrounds and Ricky's humor is a perfect fit for them! Nothing could be more Muppety.​

First of all, the fact that Ricky Gervais is an atheist has nothing to do of my opinion of his acting style or my dis-taste of his recent character work. He has a right to believe or not believe whatever he wants. Second, work with the Sesame Street muppets is different than working with the Muppets: different audience and style considerations to think about. I'm just saying I have my doubts based on his recent character work and style. I think it's great that he is ecstatic to be in the film and I hope that my doubts will be just that and that the movie will be great. I am and will continue to be cautious until I see what the plot, storyline and how Ricky's role plays into the film. It may not make sense to others but it does to me.

 

[The Count]

I just want Tina Fay with her glasses back. For as much as she busted Jimmy Fallon's chops for not wearing them when anchoring SNL Newsbreak together, she's the one who needs to start wearing them again. But the Russian guleg warden character probably doesn't have them, so she won't. Ach well, I'm just excited as all get out and hope this does get released on the rumored date of Dec 20 2013.

 

[Muppet fan 123]

I just want Tina Fay with her glasses back. For as much as she busted Jimmy Fallon's chops for not wearing them when anchoring SNL Newsbreak together, she's the one who needs to start wearing them again. But the Russian guleg warden character probably doesn't have them, so she won't. Ach well, I'm just excited as all get out and hope this does get released on the rumored date of Dec 20 2013.

I doubt Disney is going to release two movies on the same exact day.
Saving Mr. Banks, another Disney movie, already has that spot. I doubt it's gonna be released then, I think it'll be released sometime in the following February, although I would like to have another Thanksgiving release.

 

[jvcarroll]

First of all, the fact that Ricky Gervais is an atheist has nothing to do of my opinion of his acting style or my dis-taste of his recent character work. He has a right to believe or not believe whatever he wants. Second, work with the Sesame Street muppets is different than working with the Muppets: different audience and style considerations to think about. I'm just saying I have my doubts based on his recent character work and style. I think it's great that he is ecstatic to be in the film and I hope that my doubts will be just that and that the movie will be great. I am and will continue to be cautious until I see what the plot, storyline and how Ricky's role plays into the film. It may not make sense to others but it does to me.

Of course Sesame is different than the Muppets, but some of the dynamics that I mentioned are very much the same. Gervais has already proven himself as an actor who can work wonderfully one-on-one with Muppet characters and under far stricter circumstances. In fact, I’ve never seen him laugh as hard as he does in the clip I provided.

I don't know what you mean by Gervais' recent character work and style. Maybe his hosting the Golden Globes offended some famous people, but he makes fun of everyone equally, including himself, and most celebrities could use a dose of healthy ribbing. That’s a big reason why people tune into awards shows.

His recent work includes the Brit show "Derek", a remarkably sweet turn for Gervais where he plays a care worker in a home for the elderly. He lent his voice artistry to the mole in Wind and the Willows and a character in the last Spy Kids movie. Gervais also created a series of children's' pop-up books called "Flanimals."

While I respect your right to be concerned, I still don't understand the basis for it. All that I've mentioned and the Sesame clips cause me to breathe a sigh of relief rather than to hold my breath in concern. It just seems to be a matter of personal taste and that’s perfectly fine. I don’t think many Muppet fans have run out to see all of Charles Grodin’s films, but most can agree that he shines bright in GMC. Like Grodin, I think Gervais is a perfect choice for the Muppets.

I doubt Disney is going to release two movies on the same exact day.
Saving Mr. Banks, another Disney movie, already has that spot. I doubt it's gonna be released then, I think it'll be released sometime in the following February, although I would like to have another Thanksgiving release.

Release dates are subject to change. The last installment of "Planet of the Apes" from Fox was moved all over the 2011 schedule (and interestingly enough, at one time it would have competed with "The Muppets"), but came out that year and performed beautifully at the box office. I have little doubt Disney will release "The Muppets...Again" sometime this year and probably around Christmastime. There are some slots still open. Nobody official has mentioned anything in 2014 so I won't entertain that speculation unless or until they do. Technically, primary photography should be completed by April and editing should be done by late summer. They have a lot of time to figure this out so I'm still expecting a 2013 release. However, anything is possible.