Potential Ideas for JHC's Use

[petrieboy]

I just got finished bashing the company on The Dark Crystal Sequel forum... so let me offer 2 ideas for their future, since they have very few. I have another idea, but I really want to save that one for when they contact me. I'm not holding breath.

Muppet Movie Ideas:

MUPPETS IN HARLEM - a grand scale musical full of African Americans, with dancing in the streets, filmed on the actual streets of Harlem. The Muppets rent out a homely red brick apartment, where they sit on the stoop for conversation. Fozzie gets booted out of Showtime at the Apollo for his comedy. Miss Piggy has a falling out with her Manhattan modeling agency and becomes a public school teacher, suffering a class full of inner city youth (ala Dangerous Minds) who nearly give her a heart attack, while fending off the principal who likes her a BIT too much. Featuring loads of songs in the 1950s shoo wop, doo wop, and the Wall of Sound sound (NO RAP or R+B crap!) Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors) can provide the songs.

BOLLYWOOD MUPPETS:

I've mentioned this one before. The Muppets take off for India, to shoot a Bollywood film. Bollywood style music and dancing from the composers of the wonderful "Dil Chahta Hai", clothing and dresses as bright and varied as the Muppets, elephant back riding, and trekking through India. Perhaps some disaster at the Taj Majal. And of course, there must be a joyous Indian style wedding - perhaps Gonzo and Camilla's time has come.

 

[rurulesunc]

You need to talk to Disney not Henson. Henson doesnt own the Muppets anymore thats why they are trying to do things with Dark Crystal and the Fraggles.

 

[petrieboy]

Disney bought the rights to the Muppets, but that doesn't mean that Disney comes up with the storylines, does it? I thought that Disney would just be responsible for marketing and distributing and producing everything Muppet?

 

[frogboy4]

Disney bought the rights to the Muppets, but that doesn't mean that Disney comes up with the storylines, does it? I thought that Disney would just be responsible for marketing and distributing and producing everything Muppet?

That was the deal that Jim Henson originally inked in 1990. Of course that buy-out from Disney was unsuccessful. In this new 2004 purchase, Disney completely owns the Muppet characters, movies* and creative control. They could comission a Henson Company script or hire writers who have worked for Muppet productions, but it is all Disney's call now. The Henson Company is focussed on projects for properties they own like Fraggle Rock, Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and developing new concepts.

*some proceeds are shared with Columbia Tri-Star/Sony for Muppets From Space & The Muppets Take Manhattan for years to come.

 

[Speed Tracer]

So, "Muppets in Harlem" is, basically...

..."Dangerous Minds"...

...with Muppets.

 

[petrieboy]

No, come on... that's only one part of the movie, and it's a broad idea that could be made original. I already mentioned that it would be a big musical. Miss Piggy is "reduced" to teaching a ghetto class, and between the sleazy, seductive principal and her class of thugs, she's being pushed to a nervous breakdown. Picture her inside the lady's restroom, crying... or screaming inside her classroom closet after school, just when a student walks back in to ask her a question and she has to fake her reasons for screaming in the closet to maintain dignity... It's something Jim used to have fun doing with Piggy. Put a woman who prides herself on being in control, and meticulous in beautifying herself... into a situation which compromises that. In "Muppet Family Christmas" she got mud or oil splattered all over her face. In "Muppets Take Manhattan" she had horrible makeup globbed all over by Joan Rivers while she was on the verge of crying. So, give the pig more than she can handle, in a situation she normally would never choose. She could go into the job with a list of requests "A nice furnished office," etc... only to have them shot down one by one... having to share a cramped office with all the other teachers, who gossip and complain about everything, and put Piggy down.. and she'd end up horrified, but willing to do anything to help support Kermie financially. She could even have too much pride to let Kermit know that her Manhattan modeling agency let her go, so secretly teaches at the school and lies to him about how she's spending her days. It could get emotional when Kermit feels that she's exhausted and falling apart and hiding something from her. Maybe she could be inside a subway station with Kermit, sitting on a bench, and one of her students comes over and says "Hey, Miss Pig!" and she gets nervous and tries to pass him off to Kermit as someone from the agency. Am I just drunk at 2 am, or is this simple scenario more exciting than anything the Muppets have done since "Take Manhattan" ? I just feel like there is SO much that could be done with the Muppets. I thought of this in just a couple of minutes. They shine when they have to interact in the REAL world, as THEMSELVES, and are treated like real "people" instead of like "muppets." I also see a musical number inside a subway train... all of the Muppets inside, sitting next to passengers... maybe the train stopped inside the tunnel, and all the New Yorkers are moaning and groaning about being late for work or whatever... and the Muppets liven everything up by singing about things that we can't control, or time... or... I don't know... and maybe they even inspire the rest of the subway train passengers, including a homeless person or two, to join in singing... and just when they hit the glorious finale of the song, the train moves again.
I picture Muppets walking across the Brooklyn Bridge with ice cream cones... I see Kermit and Piggy standing at the top of the Empire State Building for a romantic kiss while the sun is going down... I see Rowlf playing at an old New York piano bar... and I see the film ending with New Years Eve in Times Square, Dick Clark announcing "Electric Mayhem" who sing a new ORIGINAL song - and at about 4 am, Kermit and Piggy are walking along all of the confetti remains on the quiet, cold dark street... for a very sweet ending.
The first Muppet movie had a Hollywood theme... The second movie had a London theme... the third movie had a New York theme. I think that future Muppet movies should begin with a poignant, interesting location... and then a heartfelt, fun storyline, great new music... meaningful dialogue. People need to care about Muppets again. Right now, they're just an imitation of what used to be. Risks need to be taken. It would be sad, and alarming, to think that Piggy has gotten too old to be accepted by modeling agencies. Exactly! Sad and alarming! Two things that would help make her REAL again. Why not make her just a LITTLE more middle aged looking? Just a little (I realize they have to keep the property for years to come) Well, the film could end with her, after enduring the teaching thing, getting a new modeling job for a company that likes her for her middle aged look... or, she could help change the rules of modeling by fighting against the system... or... I'm gonna sleep now.. but I know I put good ideas in this somewhere.

 

[Speed Tracer]

The "Dangerous Minds" part kinda rubs me the wrong way, but the rest of it actually sounds kinda wonderful. I love the idea about the subway. It sounds perfectly fitting for the Muppets.

I think the idea about a student saying hi to Miss Piggy could lead to a fun comedic moment. Her name IS Miss Piggy, and it could be very humorous if she takes it the wrong way, saying something like "What's THAT supposed to mean?" and Kermit saying "Miss Piggy is your name, though."

I like this a lot, now that I think about it.