Why wasn't MFS directed by a Henson director?

[minor muppetz]

Does anybody know why Muppets From Space wasn't directed by anybody invovled with the Jim Henson Company? According to the Joey Mazzarino intwerview at Tough Pigs, Russell Klieser was originally hired to direct, and then was replaced by Tim Hill. All previous Muppet movies except for TMM were directed by people who had worked for Henson.

 

[Colbynfriends]

My guess is they wanted someone else just to shake things up a little, or maybe they wanted some new blood, so to speak.

 

[ryhoyarbie]

I heard a rumor awhile back that Staler and Waldorf wanted to direct the movie, but it was going to be a 3 hour movie about them heckling the muppets and everything else.


Just a rumor I heard......

 

[CensoredAlso]

I heard a rumor awhile back that Staler and Waldorf wanted to direct the movie, but it was going to be a 3 hour movie about them heckling the muppets and everything else.


Just a rumor I heard......

Now that I'd pay to see! Or at least an old Muppet movie with them doing the commentary. : D

 

[GelflingWaldo]

Most Muppet films have been directed by first-timers.

Interestingly only two of the eight theatrical Muppet films have been directed by someone who had directed a feature film before.

Jim Frawley had directed three films before helming The Muppet Movie (The Christian Licorice Store, Kid Blue, and The Big Bus) and Muppet Treasure Island was directed by Brian Henson who had previously directed The Muppet Christmas Carol.

However The Great Muppet Caper (Jim Henson), The Muppets Take Manhattan (Frank Oz), Follow that Bird (Ken Kwapis), The Muppet Christmas Carol (Brian Henson), Muppets From Space (Tim Hill), and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (Gary Halvorson) were all the first feature film for their directors.

 

[minor muppetz]

Of course, Frank Oz did recieve directors credit for The Dark Crystal, though according to an interview he considered it to be Jim Henson's film, with Oz just helping out on a few scenes.

I do wonder why the Sesame Street movies were directed by non-Sesame people (well, I assume that the EIG director didn't have any addiitonal Sesame Street credits). I wonder if Jon Stone would have directed it if offered (or was he offered and turned it down?).

 

[GelflingWaldo]

I do wonder why the Sesame Street movies were directed by non-Sesame people

I don't know why Kwapis was picked to direct "Follow that Bird". I know it was right in the middle of a very busy time (1984-1986) for the Muppet folks - with Fraggle Rock, Sesame Street, The Muppets Take Manhattan, Labyrinth, Muppet Babies, Little Muppet Monsters and numerous TV specials all in various stages of production all at the same time. Jim and his close collaborators were very busy around 1985. I also assume that many of the key Sesame Street producers/directors were staying in New York to helm the show (which was still doing 130 new episodes a year) while others went to Canada to film their parts for "Follow that Bird".

And while it is true that Gary Halvorson (director of The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland) did not have any "Sesame Street" experience prior to directing Elmo in Grouchland, he had worked with the Muppets many of the same performers on Muppets Tonight (where he directed 10 episodes). And he has since done work with the Sesame Street gang, most recently directing 2007's Elmo's Christmas Countdown.