The Muppets (2011)



A new Muppet movie, currently titled The Muppets, is presently in production by the Walt Disney Company. The script was written by Jason Segel and Nick Stoller, the writer-director team behind the 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall. James Bobin, co-creator of the HBO series Flight of the Conchords, is directing. Bret McKenzie, co-star of Flight of the Conchords, has written the movie's songs. The film started production in September 2010; and Walt Disney Pictures has announced that the movie will premiere on November 23, 2011.

Official Summary "On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, and his friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets' former stomping grounds. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10-million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit the Frog reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate. With secret, signature, celebrity cameos, "The Muppets" hits the big screen Nov. 23, 2011."

Cast

 * Human Cast
 * Jason Segel as Gary
 * Amy Adams as Mary
 * Chris Cooper as Tex Richman
 * Rashida Jones as a network executive


 * Cameo Guest Stars
 * Alan Arkin
 * Jack Black
 * Emily Blunt
 * Beth Broderick
 * George Clooney
 * Billy Crystal
 * Barbara Eden
 * Lady Gaga
 * Zach Galifianakis
 * Ricky Gervais
 * Donald Glover
 * Kathy Griffin
 * Dave Grohl
 * Ed Helms
 * John Krasinski
 * Mila Kunis
 * Rico Rodriguez
 * Mickey Rooney
 * Wanda Sykes
 * Ben Stiller
 * Eric Stonestreet
 * Danny Trejo
 * Mila Kunis

Developments

 * In 2008, Jason Segel and Nick Stoller pitched a concept for a Muppet movie to Disney Vice President Kristin Burr. The pitch was well received and the pair was offered a deal to develop their script. In March 2008, Variety first reported that Disney signed a deal with Segel and Stoller to create the next Muppet movie; with Segel and Stoller penning the script and Stoller attached to direct. Segel has been very outspoken on his involvment, mentioning his role writing for the Muppets in many interviews and appearances. Drafts of Segel and Stoller's script, entitled The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time!!! have circulated. In the film, the Muppets must reunite to save Muppet Studios in Hollywood from an evil Texas oil tycoon. To save the studio, the Muppets have to put on a show at the Muppet Theater and attract an audience of ten million people.


 * When asked about the upcoming movie in a May 2008 interview with MovieWeb, Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear appeared playfully unaware of the project. Shocked and excited upon hearing that a new Muppet movie was being made, the pair rush out of the interview to go tell all their friends.


 * In his March 20, 2009 appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Jason Segel talks about his love for the Muppets, and his then-current work on the script for the next Muppet movie. Statler and Waldorf appeared in the audience to heckle Fallon and Segel.


 * In September 2009, Disney announced a slate of projects at their D23 Expo. Among the projects listed was a Muppet film project, entitled The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made!. Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl worked on a concept for a film entitled The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made! The new project may be a reference to, or a revival of, that idea. There was no mention as to Segel and Stoller's involvment, if any, in developing this script or idea.


 * In January 2010, James Bobin, co-creator of the HBO series Flight of the Conchords, was hired to direct the next Muppet film. According to a Hollywood Reporter article, "Plot details are being kept secret, but Bobin is expected to bring a musical sensibility to the project." David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman are said to be producing the film.


 * On February 10, 2010 a more detailed plot was posted. As quoted: "The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time is about Gary, Mary, and Walter (a man, his girlfriend, and the man’s life-long nondescript, brown puppet best friend) getting the old Muppet gang — now retired entertainers known for the same Muppet show we know them from — together to save the TV studio that the original show was shot in. A villain, Tex Richman (nice name, on par with Doc Hopper), bent on drilling for oil underneath the studio, is due to take over the studio in weeks and the only way to stop him? Putting on a show that draws ten million viewers."


 * On March 16, 2010, The Hollywood Reporter announced, "Jason Segel has found his rainbow connection with Disney's Muppets movie, signing to star as the human lead... [Segel] also co-wrote the script and will serve as producer." James Bobin is mentioned as the director, although the plot and title of the film are "under wraps."


 * On April 22, 2010, Disney studios chairman Rich Ross reconfirmed their committment to the film.


 * On April 23, 2010, chairman Rich Ross said that the film will feature a new puppet character named Walter, who is "in felt and fur rehab now as we build him."


 * On April 27, 2010, Kermit the Frog mentioned on The Nerdist that filming may start in the Fall.


 * In a May 3rd interview with MTV, Muppets Studio general manager Lylle Breier confirmed that the next movie will be Segel's Greatest script, while the Cheapest treatment from Henson's days has been set aside.


 * While making the press rounds for Get Him to the Greek in May, co-writer Nick Stoller reported that the first table read of the script had recently taken place with the Muppets. The script read through was filmed for use later on home video.


 * Walt Disney Pictures officially announced December 25, 2011 as the release date in June 2010. Six months later, the release date was pushed up to November 23.


 * Interviewed at a movie premiere in June, Jason Segel revealed that shooting for the new movie will start in September.


 * On July 21, 2010, the team involved with producing the movie met with creative heads at Pixar to fine-tune the script.


 * On October 15, 2010, it was announced that Amy Adams, Rashida Jones and Chris Cooper were nearing deals to join the movie. According to a report on Hollywood.com, "Segel will star in the lead role, with Adams as his girlfriend. Jones takes the role of an ABC executive. Cooper plays the villain, a greedy man who wants to drill for oil underneath the studio. And he also has a personal vendetta against the Muppets: he never thought they were funny."


 * In an October 29, 2010 appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Jason Segel announced that filming had begun on the movie.


 * Reports of celebrity cameos have included Zach Galifianakis and Alan Arkin. News In Film also reported that Michael Cera is being considered for the voice of the new puppet character, Walter.


 * The November 12, 2010 issue of Entertainment Weekly featured a 2-page spread about the new Muppet movie, referred to simply as "The Muppets". The article featured a summary of the film's concept along with quotes from Segel and Bobin. It also included the first images of Walter, along with new photos of the Muppets and the movie's co-writer/co-star Jason Segel posing at a mock table read for the film.


 * Mickey Rooney filmed a cameo for the film in November 2010.


 * Ricky Gervais and Emily Blunt are rumored to have filmed cameos for the film as well, along with Billy Crystal, Jack Black and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Gervais himself confirmed the reports on his personal blog: "You may have heard I'm doing a cameo in the new Muppet Movie. Should be a laugh. I'm in L.A. anyway for the Globes, so... convenient. Hope my mate Elmo is around that day."


 * Jason Segel confirmed to MTV that Peter Linz will be puppeteering and voicing Walter, not Michael Cera or Paul Rudd as previously rumored: "He also revealed that Rudd was never intended to be the voice of the new Muppet named Walter; rather, puppeteer Peter Linz is going to be singing and voicing (and moving) Walter for the film. There was instead a moment when Walter imagines himself as a human, and Rudd seemingly would have played that human. Segel wouldn't confirm or deny whether or not Michael Cera is now in contention to take that role."


 * In an interview for Dread Central, Danny Trejo confirmed he was going to be involved in the movie: "I am going to be in the Muppet movie. I was hoping they were going to make me one of the old men in the balcony. Remember them guys? I wanted to be one of those guys, but I don’t know."


 * Segel discussed composer Bret McKenzie's involvement in a January 2011 interview: "Segel had considered doing the Muppets music himself but thought he might be too swamped to do it right. 'Also, I'm good at writing songs that are allowed to just be funny,' he says. 'They don't need to have a tremendous amount of musical merit, but these Muppet songs have to be great. The lineage of the Muppet songs, things like Rainbow Connection and all that, it's not a job for an amateur. (McKenzie) really knows what he's doing, and his songs have just been beautiful.'
 * The Los Angeles Times reported that Kermit will once again sing one of his signature songs, The Rainbow Connection to resurrect classic material, but also to show his range as an actor, as he says he's very dramatic in the film. Kermit had kind words for his co-star: "He says Segel's 'a big kid,' adding that 'the only problem is he's very tall, so I have to do most of my scenes standing on boxes. He's 6-foot-3, 6-foot-4, and I'm only about 18 inches high.'" Kermit said he's excited to be back in the movies: "Not only is it a big project but we get to be big on the screen. It's good for all of us except Piggy. She's not crazy about being any bigger."
 * Hollywood Boulevard was closed for two nights on January 18th and 19th to film the final musical number. The shoot involved Amy Adams and Jason Segel dancing on the street in front of the El Capitan Theatre, with several rows of backup dancers and dozens of extras filling the busy street. An on-set photo of the background Muppet characters includes Thog, Sweetums, Sam the Eagle and Link Hogthrob, among many others.