Speculation: Potential Sequel for "The Muppets"

[beaker]

There's just one thing I would have a problem with. Would Walter be in the new movie? If he was then that will be a sequel.

He better be! Walter is the best thing thats happened to the Muppet gang since Pepe in 1996!! Walter to me was such a big breakout surprise.

 

[beaker]

I'm not saying that this is all over his own directing career, and doing other things, I know about all of that, I'm just saying if he supposedly has been wanting to direct a theatrical Muppet movie all these years, what exactly is preventing him from doing so? Is it studio politics, like heralde says? Is it really because he's got his own career now? Or is it because other people want to avoid him because of the reports of his arrogance?

I mean, not to start anything against Frank or anything, I admire the man almost as much as I admire Jim, he was Jim's number two go-to guy after all, but I have wondered how well he worked with others... he seems to have worked well with both Jerry's (Nelson and Juhl), and David Rudman has nothing but praise for him, but others have said otherwise, like Caroll and others talking about how doing Cookie Monster bits and such where he would pin down their right hands with his left to prevent them from doing too much action, and of course there were those rumors that have never been confirmed nor denied that he wasn't looking forward to performing Bert alongside Steve's Ernie.

That's why it's so funny how Ernie and Bert got created. Bert totally is Oz on a lot of levels, as Ernie represents Jim. I mentioned this in the gay speculation thread, but of all the funny dichotomies reflecting the actual puppeteers, the Ernie/Bert thing is just genius.

It bothers me not if Frank Oz flat out disowned the Muppets. He hasn't, thankfully. He appears in the amazing new film Being Elmo, and he was involved with the NBC Rockefeller Muppet attraction opening.

I DO take issue with Muppet veteran insiders not writing or at least having a big role in shaping the next script. WE NEED Pepe and Rizzo to be in it a lot.

I say let Kurt Thatcher direct it. I loved Letters to Santa, which to me I enjoyed a lot more than the new film in some ways.

 

[beaker]

well, assuming this one does well on dvd, i think it could.

i think that crowd of 20 and 30 somethings that showed up for this one and loved it will see another one. the question mark is the kids, really. that was the reason this one had a drop off in spite of such positive reaction. nostalgia doesn't work for kids who don't know the muppets already

so i think we've got to hope that the dvd sales will work to introduce more kids to the equation, and a brand new story next time around will have it do better with that particular audience as well. because i still think the muppets can and do appeal to kids and always will, but the nostalgia and seriousness of the story in this one was squarely aimed at adults who know and love the muppets already. i think all it would take is a new and fresh adventure to bring the kids in next time

I say ratchet up the realism, seriousness, and forget about appealing to the computer generated kiddy movie demographic completely. They can go watch Garfield, Smurfs, Alvin, etc if they don't get the magic of the Muppets

I mean again, Muppet Movie 1979 and Muppets Take Manhattan 1984. These were very grownup, real world movies. No fantasy gimmicks(sides from Animal growing gigantic), no pandering. They'd almost be considered independent movies now in style and theme, and I think it worked wonders. Kids movies today are way too slick. G-force? Cat and Dog type movies? Cgi/live action hybrids? Nothing compares to the magic of 80's family films and I doubt they ever will

 

[D'Snowth]

WE NEED Pepe and Rizzo to be in it a lot.

I was surprised that Pepe and Rizzo were pretty much neglected in the movie, especially considering that Pepe was used quite heavily in the trailers and promos and such, but then again, there's the "point" that the movie was intended to focus more on the core of Muppets that made up the Muppets during the height of their popularity in the 70s with TMS, which Pepe wasn't a part of, and Rizzo wasn't around until the final season (and subsequently in MTM).

 

[CensoredAlso]

I say ratchet up the realism, seriousness, and forget about appealing to the computer generated kiddy movie demographic completely. They can go watch Garfield, Smurfs, Alvin, etc if they don't get the magic of the Muppets

If they thought that would bring in the money, they would do it.

 

[zoebell]

You know, I was watching The Muppets on the Muppets the other day, and I was marveling at how easy and funny Kermit and Fozzie were together. It was great. I agree that the chemistry between Steve's Kermit and Frank's characters seemed off in the movies and scripted materials, sometimes. But they seemed to do fine off-the-cuff. I don't know why that would have been, but it was just something I noticed.

but wasn't that steve and eric? that's what i mean, i feel like kermit and fozzie's dynamic was resurrected for the first time in years when eric took over frank's characters

correct me if i'm wrong, but i really don't remember kermit and fozzie having much interaction at all during the whole decade of the 90s. and actually another thing that kinda bugged me in those years was piggy. i feel like she changed after jim's death, and i think it had a lot to do with frank not having jim to play off of anymore, in appearances and stuff. but again, when eric took over, after a few years i think she really came back in a big way and now kermit and piggy are great together again

 

[Borples]

I DO take issue with Muppet veteran insiders not writing or at least having a big role in shaping the next script. WE NEED Pepe and Rizzo to be in it a lot.

I say let Kurt Thatcher direct it. I loved Letters to Santa, which to me I enjoyed a lot more than the new film in some ways.

I think it would be nice if they had a mix of people from the latest movie and more veteran Muppet talent working on the next one. Let's face it, Segel/Stoller/Bobin had more success--commercial and otherwise--than the Muppets had in many, many years. However, the nostalgia-trip angle they took for this movie worked ONCE. The next movie needs to realize that the Muppets were alive and kicking and growing and TOGETHER for all these years. And if Bobin and Co. weren't paying any attention to the Muppets during that 20 year span, they ought to bring in somebody who was.

Which is to say, I agree. Give me Rizzo or give me fan riots!

 

[charlietheowl]

WE NEED Pepe and Rizzo to be in it a lot.

I'd like the next movie to have an ensemble approach, sort of like how each Muppet got their own little scene to themselves in Muppets Take Manhattan. I'd like to see Rowlf, Scooter, the Electric Mayhem, the "second-tier" muppets be able to get some screen time, and that's the sort of category where Pepe and Rizzo can fit in. A muppet movie is always going to have a lot of Kermit and Piggy and Fozzie and Gonzo, but I think that one of the largest strengths of the Muppets is their well-stocked bench of characters, and I'd like to see that used.

 

[Borples]

but wasn't that steve and eric? that's what i mean, i feel like kermit and fozzie's dynamic was resurrected for the first time in years when eric took over frank's characters

Nope, as I understand it, that was Frank. According to Muppet Wiki, those bits were filmed in the late 90s, but not released until the S2 DVDs came out. And Frank played all his characters. For confirmation, in a Tough Pigs interview with Eric (and Steve and Matt), they were talking about the Muppets.com clips with Animal and his bunny. And Eric mentioned that the bunny came about b/c of Frank going on about bunnies in an Animal interview once. Which would have been The Muppets on the Muppets. And if you listen to Animal, that is DEFINITELY Frank's Animal. Piggy does sound distinctly weird, though. She doesn't really sound like Frank's Piggy. But she doesn't sound like Eric's Piggy either. Maybe Frank had a cold. *shrugs*

Anyway. Pretty sure it was Frank.

 

[Muppet fan 123]

Not necessarily. Most of the major Muppets had an "origin story" in one of the movies. Take Rizzo--he's a good example b/c he wasn't a part of the original TMS gang. Granted, he had a tiny little role in GMC, but forget that for a second. His origin story was in TMTM. But that doesn't make any later movies featuring him sequels of TMTM. I think as long as a new movie with Walter didn't heavily reference the story from TM2011 (what are we calling that one in short form?), it wouldn't necessarily be a sequel. He's just a Muppet now, yaknow?

But there was a whole movie introducing him, so if Walter's there then Gary has to be there too, and if Gary's there, Mary's there too.