''The Muppets'' is a 2011 American
musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
directed by
James Bobin
James Bobin is a British filmmaker. He worked as a director and writer on ''Da Ali G Show'' and helped create the characters of Ali G, Borat, and Brüno. With Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, he co-created ''Flight of the Conchords''. He direc ...
and written by
Jason Segel
Jason Jordan Segel ( ; born January 18, 1980) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Marshall Eriksen in the CBS sitcom ''How I Met Your Mother'', as well as for his work with director and pr ...
and
Nicholas Stoller
Nicholas Stoller (born March 19, 1976) is a British-American filmmaker. He is known mainly for directing the 2008 comedy ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'', its 2010 spin-off/sequel, ''Get Him to the Greek'', ''The Five-Year Engagement'', '' Neighbors ...
, and the seventh theatrical film featuring
the Muppets
The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety- sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses ...
.
The film stars Segel,
Amy Adams
Amy Lou Adams (born August 20, 1974) is an American actress. Known for both her comedic and dramatic roles, she has been featured three times in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actresses. She has received various accolades, incl ...
,
Chris Cooper
Christopher Walton Cooper (born July 9, 1951) is an American actor. He has appeared in several major Hollywood films, including '' American Beauty'' (1999), ''October Sky'' (1999), '' The Bourne Identity'' (2002), ''Seabiscuit'' (2003), '' Cap ...
, and
Rashida Jones
Rashida Leah Jones (; born February 25, 1976) is an American actress.
Jones appeared as Louisa Fenn on the Fox drama series ''Boston Public'' (2000–2002), as Karen Filippelli on the NBC comedy series ''The Office'' (2006–2009; 2011), and as ...
, as well as Muppets performers
Steve Whitmire
Steven Lawrence Whitmire (born September 24, 1959) is an American puppeteer, known primarily for his work on ''The Muppets'' and ''Sesame Street''. Beginning his involvement with the Muppets in 1978, Whitmire inherited the roles of Ernie and Kerm ...
,
Eric Jacobson
Eric Jacobson is an American puppeteer. He is best known for performing Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle for The Muppets Studio, as well as ''Sesame Street'' characters Bert, Grover, Oscar the Grouch, and Guy Smiley—all roles tha ...
,
Dave Goelz
David Charles Goelz (; born July 16, 1946) is an American puppeteer and puppet builder known for his work with the Muppets. As part of the Muppets' performing cast, Goelz performs Gonzo the Great, as well as Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Waldorf (after ...
,
Bill Barretta
William Paul Barretta (born June 19, 1964) is an American puppeteer, actor, producer, writer, and director, who is best known for providing the puppetry and voice of characters such as Pepe the King Prawn, Johnny Fiama, Big Mean Carl, and Bobo ...
,
David Rudman
David Rudman (born June 1, 1963) is an American puppeteer, puppet builder, writer, director, and producer known for his involvement with the Muppets and ''Sesame Street''.
Career
David Rudman has been a ''Sesame Street'' Muppet performer sinc ...
,
Matt Vogel, and
Peter Linz
Peter Linz (born June 28, 1967) is an American puppeteer. His most prominent role is being the performer for the character Walter who was introduced in the 2011 feature film ''The Muppets''. Since 1991, Linz has performed on ''Sesame Street'', ...
.
Bret McKenzie
Bret Peter Tarrant McKenzie (born 29 June 1976) is a New Zealand musician, comedian, music supervisor, and actor. He is best known as one half of musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords along with Jemaine Clement. In the 2000s, the duo's com ...
served as music supervisor, writing four of the film's five original songs, while
Christophe Beck
Jean-Christophe Beck (born November 30, 1972) is a Canadian television and film score composer and conductor. He is a brother of pianist Chilly Gonzales. He is best known for his collaborations with Disney and its subsidiaries, which include comp ...
composed the film's score.
In the film, devoted Muppet fan
Walter
Walter may refer to:
People
* Walter (name), both a surname and a given name
* Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968)
* Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...
, his human brother Gary and Gary's girlfriend Mary help
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character created and originally performed by Jim Henson. Introduced in 1955, Kermit serves as the everyman protagonist of numerous Muppet productions, most notably ''Sesame Street'' and ''The Muppet Show'', as well ...
reunite the disbanded
Muppets, as they must raise $10 million to save the Muppet Theater from Tex Richman, a businessman who plans to demolish the studio to drill for oil.
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Studios uni ...
first announced the film in March 2008, with Segel and Stoller as the screenwriters and
Mandeville Films
Mandeville Films is an American film production company headquartered in Burbank, California. Founded in 1995 by film producer David Hoberman, the company re-formed as Mandeville Films and Television in 2002 after a short hiatus for three years, ...
as co-producer.
Bobin was hired to direct in January 2010, and the film's supporting cast was filled out in October of the same year with the casting of Adams, Cooper and Jones. Filming began in September 2010 and was completed entirely in Los Angeles. The film was the first theatrical Muppets production to not feature
Frank Oz
Frank Oz (born Frank Richard Oznowicz; May 25, 1944) is an American actor, puppeteer, and filmmaker.
He began his career as a puppeteer, performing the Muppet characters of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle in ''The Muppet Show ...
and
Jerry Nelson
Jerry L. Nelson (July 10, 1934 – August 23, 2012) was an American puppeteer, best known for his work with The Muppets. Renowned for his wide range of characters and singing abilities, he performed Muppet characters on ''Sesame Street'', ' ...
as their respective roles, though Nelson would make a voice cameo, thus making it his final ''Muppet'' film before his death the following year. Instead, their characters are performed by Jacobson and Vogel, respectively, marking their theatrical feature film debut as those characters.
''The Muppets'' premiered at the Savannah Film Festival on November 4, 2011, and was released theatrically in North America on November 23, by
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, formerly known as Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. until 2007, is an American film distribution studio within the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. It ha ...
.
The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $165 million worldwide on a budget of $45 million and garnering praise for its humor, music, and revitalization of the characters. The film won the
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for
Best Original Song
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
for McKenzie's song "
Man or Muppet
"Man or Muppet" is a song from Disney's 2011 musical comedy film ''The Muppets'', written by singer-songwriter Bret McKenzie. Performed by the film's main characters, Gary (Jason Segel) and Walter (Peter Linz), the song also features Bill Barrett ...
", as well as garnering
BAFTA and
Critic's Choice Awards
The Critics' Choice Movie Awards (formerly known as the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award) is an awards show presented annually by the American-Canadian Critics Choice Association (CCA) to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. Writ ...
nominations. A sequel, titled ''
Muppets Most Wanted
''Muppets Most Wanted'' is a 2014 American musical crime comedy film and the eighth theatrical film featuring the Muppets. Directed by James Bobin and written by Bobin and Nicholas Stoller, the film is a sequel to ''The Muppets'' (2011) and stars ...
'', was released on March 21, 2014.
Plot
Walter
Walter may refer to:
People
* Walter (name), both a surname and a given name
* Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968)
* Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...
, born a Muppet and a resident of Smalltown, is a lifelong fan of ''
The Muppet Show
''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as a ser ...
''. His older brother Gary intends to take his long-term girlfriend Mary on a vacation to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. Mary wants Gary to propose to her, but feels his devotion to Walter distracts from their relationship.
The trio tour the rundown Muppet Studios, where Walter sneaks into
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character created and originally performed by Jim Henson. Introduced in 1955, Kermit serves as the everyman protagonist of numerous Muppet productions, most notably ''Sesame Street'' and ''The Muppet Show'', as well ...
’s office. There, he overhears oil magnate Tex Richman and his henchmen,
Uncle Deadly and
Bobo the Bear
The Muppets are an ensemble group of comedic puppet characters originally created by Jim Henson. The Muppets have appeared in multiple television series, films, and other media appearances since the 1950s. The majority of the characters listed ...
, intending to buy the Muppet Theatre from
Statler and Waldorf
Statler and Waldorf are a pair of Muppet characters best known for their cantankerous opinions and shared penchant for heckling. The two elderly men first appeared in ''The Muppet Show'' in 1975, where they consistently jeered the entirety of ...
. The old men state that the Muppets could
repurchase the theatre if they raised $10 million before their
original contract expires. However, in private, Richman reveals he intends to destroy the theatre to
drill for oil.
Walter informs Gary and Mary. They visit Kermit in his mansion, who realizes the Muppets would have to reunite and throw a
telethon
A telethon (a portmanteau of "television" and "marathon") is a televised fundraising event that lasts many hours or even days, the purpose of which is to raise money for a charitable, political or other purportedly worthy cause.
Most telethons f ...
to raise the money. Though the Muppets have gone their separate ways, Kermit is convinced to reunite them. He convinces
Fozzie Bear
Fozzie Bear is a Muppet character best known as the insecure and comedically fruitless stand-up comic on ''The Muppet Show.'' Fozzie is an orange-brown bear who often wears a brown pork pie hat and a pink and white polka dot necktie. The charac ...
to join in, having been performing in
Reno
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the c ...
with the Moopets, a
tribute band
A tribute act, tribute band or tribute group is a music group, singer, or musician who specifically plays the music of a well-known music act. Tribute acts include individual performers who mimic the songs and style of an artist, such as Elvi ...
of uncouth Muppet impersonators.
Gonzo
Gonzo may refer to:
People
* Gonzo (nickname), a list of people with the nickname
* Radislav Jovanov Gonzo (born 1964), Croatian music video director Radislav Jovanov, also known as Gonzo
* Matthias Röhr (born 1962), German musician whose stage ...
, working as a
plumbing
Plumbing is any system that conveys fluids for a wide range of applications. Plumbing uses pipes, valves, plumbing fixtures, tanks, and other apparatuses to convey fluids. Heating and cooling (HVAC), waste removal, and potable water delivery ...
magnate, at first refuses to join, but changes his mind.
Animal
Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...
attends a celebrity anger management clinic, sponsored by
Jack Black
Thomas Jacob Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for his acting roles in the films '' High Fidelity'' (2000), ''Shallow Hal'' (2001), ''Orange County'' (2002), '' School of Rock'' (2003), ''E ...
, and refuses to play the drums. The other various Muppets are recruited via "
map montage".
The group travels to
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
to recruit
Miss Piggy
Miss Piggy is one of the Muppet characters known for her breakout role in Jim Henson's ''The Muppet Show''. Since her debut in 1976, Miss Piggy has been notable for her temperamental diva superstar personality, tendency to use French phrases in ...
, who is an editor for ''
Vogue Paris
The French edition of ''Vogue'' magazine, formerly called ''Vogue Paris'', is a fashion magazine that has been published since 1920.
History 1920–54
The French edition of ''Vogue'' was first issued on 15 June 1920, the first editor-in-chief ...
''. At first she refuses to return, but later does so when her Moopet counterpart Miss Poogy is hired. The Muppets pitch their telethon to several networks. CDE network executive Veronica Martin agrees to air their show if they gain a
celebrity
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...
host
A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it.
Host may also refer to:
Places
* Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County
People
*Jim Host (born 1937), American businessman
* Michel Host ...
and The Muppets rebuild the theatre. Needing enough acts to fill the telethon's two-hour timeslot, Kermit encourages Walter to find a talent. With Gary helping Walter, Mary goes sightseeing alone and eventually returns to Smalltown.
With time running out, a desperate Kermit tries to implore Richman to return the studio, but he refuses, revealing he will give the Muppets’
trademark
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others ...
s to the Moopets. Kermit gives up, prompting Miss Piggy to rally the other Muppets to kidnap Jack Black to be the host. Gary discovers Mary has left and returns to Smalltown.
The Muppets convince Kermit to participate in the telethon, which slowly gains both an audience and rising funds, thanks to
telephone pledges from celebrity callers. Richman repeatedly attempts to sabotage the show, cutting the theatre's power, but Gary and Mary arrive to restore it. A guilt-stricken Uncle Deadly betrays Richman and stops his second attempt at sabotage. Kermit and Miss Piggy reconcile, leading the Muppets to perform a rendition of “
Rainbow Connection
"Rainbow Connection" is a song from the 1979 film ''The Muppet Movie'', with music and lyrics written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher. The song was performed by Jim Henson – as Kermit the Frog – in the film. "Rainbow Connection" reached ...
”. During this, Animal regains his love for drumming. Walter, with encouragement from Gary, performs a whistling act and earns a
standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim. In Ancient Rome returning military commanders (such as Marcus Licinius Crassus a ...
.
Refusing to accept defeat, Richman deliberately crashes Kermit's car into a telephone pole, cutting off the phone lines just short of the goal, and evicts the Muppets from the theatre. However, the group are met by adoring fans outside, Walter joining the Muppets. Gary proposes to Mary, and Richman, after being struck in the head by Gonzo's
bowling ball
A bowling ball is a hard spherical ball used to knock down bowling pins in the sport of bowling.
Balls used in ten-pin bowling and American nine-pin bowling traditionally have holes for two fingers and the thumb. Balls used in five-pin bowling, c ...
, laughs for the first time and willingly returns ownership of the theatre to the Muppets.
Cast
*
Jason Segel
Jason Jordan Segel ( ; born January 18, 1980) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Marshall Eriksen in the CBS sitcom ''How I Met Your Mother'', as well as for his work with director and pr ...
as Gary, Walter's human brother and a fan of the Muppets.
** Gunnar Smith as 6-year-old Gary
** Connor Gallagher as 9-year-old Gary
** Justin Marco as 13-year-old Gary
*
Amy Adams
Amy Lou Adams (born August 20, 1974) is an American actress. Known for both her comedic and dramatic roles, she has been featured three times in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actresses. She has received various accolades, incl ...
as Mary, an elementary school teacher and Gary's longtime girlfriend. She is also a very capable
mechanic
A mechanic is an artisan, skilled tradesperson, or technician who uses tools to build, maintain, or repair machinery, especially cars.
Duties
Most mechanics specialize in a particular field, such as auto body mechanics, air conditioning and r ...
.
*
Chris Cooper
Christopher Walton Cooper (born July 9, 1951) is an American actor. He has appeared in several major Hollywood films, including '' American Beauty'' (1999), ''October Sky'' (1999), '' The Bourne Identity'' (2002), ''Seabiscuit'' (2003), '' Cap ...
as Tex Richman, the main antagonist; a greedy oil
magnate
The magnate term, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders, or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...
who desires to destroy the Muppet Theater to get to the oil that is supposedly underneath it. He is unable to laugh until Gonzo gives him a head injury during the credits.
*
Rashida Jones
Rashida Leah Jones (; born February 25, 1976) is an American actress.
Jones appeared as Louisa Fenn on the Fox drama series ''Boston Public'' (2000–2002), as Karen Filippelli on the NBC comedy series ''The Office'' (2006–2009; 2011), and as ...
as Veronica Martin, a network executive at the CDE network.
*
Jack Black
Thomas Jacob Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for his acting roles in the films '' High Fidelity'' (2000), ''Shallow Hal'' (2001), ''Orange County'' (2002), '' School of Rock'' (2003), ''E ...
as Himself (uncredited), Animal's court-appointed sponsor and unwilling celebrity host of ''The Muppet Telethon''.
*
Zach Galifianakis
Zachary Knight Galifianakis (born October 1, 1969) is an American actor and comedian. He appeared in ''Comedy Central Presents'' special and presented his show ''Late World with Zach'' on VH1.
Galifianakis has starred in films including ''Th ...
["Jack Black & Zach Galifianakis Join Disney's 'Muppets' Movie"](_blank)
. TheWrap.com. Retrieved May 17, 2011. as Hobo Joe, a homeless man who is the first audience member of ''The Muppet Telethon''.
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom (born January 18, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Northern California, Newsom was classically trained on the harp in her youth and began her musical career as a keyboardist in the San Francisc ...
did his brief singing voice.
*
Jim Parsons
James Joseph Parsons (born March 24, 1973) is an American actor. From 2007 to 2019, he played Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory''. He has received various awards, including four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead A ...
as Human Walter
*
Ken Jeong
Kendrick Kang-Joh Jeong (, ; born July 13, 1969) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, producer, writer and licensed physician. He rose to prominence for playing Leslie Chow in ''The Hangover'' film series (2009–2013) and Ben Chang in the ...
as ''Punch Teacher'' host
*
Alan Arkin
Alan Wolf Arkin (born March 26, 1934) is an American actor, director and screenwriter known for his performances on stage and screen. Throughout his career spanning over six decades, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award ...
["Disney to Release 'Muppets' Movie Next Thanksgiving"](_blank)
. TheWrap.com. Retrieved May 17, 2011. as
Muppet Studios Tour Guide
A tour guide (U.S.) or a tourist guide (European) is a person who provides assistance, information on cultural, historical and contemporary heritage to people on organized sightseeing and individual clients at educational establishments, religio ...
*
Bill Cobbs
William Francisco Cobbs (born June 16, 1934) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in movies such as Louisiana Slim in '' The Hitter'' (1979), Water in ''The Brother from Another Planet'' (1984), and as Lewis Coleman on ''I'll Fly Aw ...
as Grandfather
*
Eddie Pepitone
Edward David Pepitone (born November 5, 1958) is an American character actor and stand-up comedian.
Early life
Pepitone was born to a Sicilian father and a Jewish mother in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, and was raised from the age of nine ...
as
Postman
A mail carrier, mailman, mailwoman, postal carrier, postman, postwoman, or letter carrier (in American English), sometimes colloquially known as a postie (in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom), is an employee of a post ...
*
Kristen Schaal
Kristen Joy Schaal (; born January 24, 1978) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She is best known for her voice roles as Louise Belcher on ''Bob's Burgers'' and Mabel Pines on ''Gravity Falls''. She's also known for playing Mel on ''F ...
as the Anger Management Group moderator.
*
Eddie "Piolín" Sotelo
Eddie "Piolín" Sotelo, (born December 1, 1972) is a Mexican radio broadcaster. He is currently host of the nationally syndicated radio show ''El Show De Piolín'' on Entravision''.'' His nickname means "Tweety Bird" in Mexican Spanish, a nickname ...
as
Univision
Univision () is an American Spanish-language free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the Latino public and includes ...
Executive
*
Donald Glover
Donald McKinley Glover Jr. (; born September 25, 1983), also known by his stage name Childish Gambino (), is an American entertainer, writer, director, and producer. After working in Derrick Comedy while studying at New York University, Glove ...
as Junior CDE Executive
*
Sarah Silverman
Sarah Kate Silverman (born December 1, 1970) is an American comedian, actress, and writer.
Silverman was a writer and performer on ''Saturday Night Live'', and she starred in and produced ''The Sarah Silverman Program'', which ran from 2007 to ...
as a
Mel's Drive-In
Mel's Drive-In is a term referring to two American restaurant chains, successors of a restaurant founded in 1947 by Mel Weiss and Harold Dobbs in San Francisco, California. It is closely associated with the film ''American Graffiti''.
Locations ...
restaurant greeter.
* Dahlia Wangort as
FOX
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
Executive
* Michael Albala as
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
Executive
*
Aria Noelle Curzon
Aria Noelle Curzon (born December 8, 1987) is an American actress. Her most famous voice roles are Ducky in The Land Before Time (franchise), ''The Land Before Time'' video series, Teresa ("The Cornchip Girl") in ''Recess (TV series), Recess'', ...
as Marge, a
Mel's Drive-In
Mel's Drive-In is a term referring to two American restaurant chains, successors of a restaurant founded in 1947 by Mel Weiss and Harold Dobbs in San Francisco, California. It is closely associated with the film ''American Graffiti''.
Locations ...
waitress
Waiting staff (British English), waitstaff (North American English), waiters (male) / waitresses (female), or servers (North American English), are those who work at a restaurant, a diner, or a bar and sometimes in private homes, attending ...
Muppet performers
*
Steve Whitmire
Steven Lawrence Whitmire (born September 24, 1959) is an American puppeteer, known primarily for his work on ''The Muppets'' and ''Sesame Street''. Beginning his involvement with the Muppets in 1978, Whitmire inherited the roles of Ernie and Kerm ...
as
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character created and originally performed by Jim Henson. Introduced in 1955, Kermit serves as the everyman protagonist of numerous Muppet productions, most notably ''Sesame Street'' and ''The Muppet Show'', as well ...
,
Beaker,
Statler,
Rizzo the Rat
Rizzo the Rat is a Muppet character, created and originally performed by Steve Whitmire. He is a fictional rat who appeared on ''The Muppet Show'' and numerous films, with a starring role in the 1992 film ''The Muppet Christmas Carol''.
The char ...
,
Link Hogthrob
The Muppets are an ensemble group of comedic puppet characters originally created by Jim Henson. The Muppets have appeared in multiple television series, films, and other media appearances since the 1950s. The majority of the characters listed ...
,
Lips
The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...
, and the
Muppet Newsman
*
Eric Jacobson
Eric Jacobson is an American puppeteer. He is best known for performing Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle for The Muppets Studio, as well as ''Sesame Street'' characters Bert, Grover, Oscar the Grouch, and Guy Smiley—all roles tha ...
as
Miss Piggy
Miss Piggy is one of the Muppet characters known for her breakout role in Jim Henson's ''The Muppet Show''. Since her debut in 1976, Miss Piggy has been notable for her temperamental diva superstar personality, tendency to use French phrases in ...
,
Fozzie Bear
Fozzie Bear is a Muppet character best known as the insecure and comedically fruitless stand-up comic on ''The Muppet Show.'' Fozzie is an orange-brown bear who often wears a brown pork pie hat and a pink and white polka dot necktie. The charac ...
,
Animal
Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...
,
Sam Eagle
Sam Eagle, or Sam the Eagle, or Sam the American Eagle, is a Muppet character best known for his ultra-patriotism and disciplined manner of being. Sam originated on the television show ''The Muppet Show'', where he was performed by Frank Oz. ...
, and
Marvin Suggs
The Muppets are an ensemble group of comedic puppet characters originally created by Jim Henson. The Muppets have appeared in multiple television series, films, and other media appearances since the 1950s. The majority of the characters listed ...
*
Dave Goelz
David Charles Goelz (; born July 16, 1946) is an American puppeteer and puppet builder known for his work with the Muppets. As part of the Muppets' performing cast, Goelz performs Gonzo the Great, as well as Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Waldorf (after ...
as
Gonzo the Great
Gonzo, also known as The Great Gonzo or Gonzo the Great, is a Muppet. Aside from his trademark enthusiasm for performance art, another defining trait of Gonzo is the ambiguity of his species, which has become a running gag in the franchise. He has ...
,
Dr. Bunsen Honeydew
Dr. Bunsen Honeydew is a Muppet character from ''The Muppet Show'', performed by Dave Goelz. He is a bald, yellow-skinned, bespectacled, lab-coated scientist who presented periodic science segments from "Muppet Labs, where the future is being mad ...
,
Zoot,
Beauregard,
Waldorf, and Kermoot
*
Bill Barretta
William Paul Barretta (born June 19, 1964) is an American puppeteer, actor, producer, writer, and director, who is best known for providing the puppetry and voice of characters such as Pepe the King Prawn, Johnny Fiama, Big Mean Carl, and Bobo ...
as
Rowlf the Dog
Rowlf the Dog is a The Muppets, Muppet character, a scruffy brown dog of Mongrel, indeterminate breed with a rounded black nose and long floppy ears. He was created and originally performed by Jim Henson. Rowlf is the Muppet Theatre's resident pi ...
, the
Swedish Chef
The Swedish Chef is a Muppet character that appeared on ''The Muppet Show''. He was originally performed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz simultaneously, with Henson performing the head and voice and Oz performing the character with real hands. The S ...
,
Dr. Teeth,
Pepé the King Prawn
Pepino Rodrigo Serrano Gonzales, better known as Pepe the King Prawn, is a Muppet character created for ''Muppets Tonight'' and performed by Bill Barretta, originally as part of a vaudeville double act with Seymour the Elephant.
Overview
Pepe i ...
,
Bobo the Bear
The Muppets are an ensemble group of comedic puppet characters originally created by Jim Henson. The Muppets have appeared in multiple television series, films, and other media appearances since the 1950s. The majority of the characters listed ...
,
Mahna Mahna, Behemoth, Beautiful Day Monster, Gary Muppet, and Lead Hobo
*
David Rudman
David Rudman (born June 1, 1963) is an American puppeteer, puppet builder, writer, director, and producer known for his involvement with the Muppets and ''Sesame Street''.
Career
David Rudman has been a ''Sesame Street'' Muppet performer sinc ...
as
Scooter,
Janice Janice may refer to:
* Janice (given name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
* ''Janice & Abbey'', a reality TV series
* Processor codename of the Samsung Galaxy S Advance Android smartphone
* Janice, Łódź Voivodes ...
, Miss Poogy, Wayne, Bobby Benson, and Singing Food
*
Matt Vogel as
Floyd Pepper,
Camilla the Chicken,
Priscilla The Chicken,
Beep The Chicken,
Miss Stephens The Chicken,
Britany The Chicken,
Sweetums
The Muppets are an ensemble group of comedic puppet characters originally created by Jim Henson. The Muppets have appeared in multiple television series, films, and other media appearances since the 1950s. The majority of the characters listed ...
,
'80s Robot,
Lew Zealand,
Uncle Deadly,
Crazy Harry
The Muppets are an ensemble group of comedic puppet characters originally created by Jim Henson. The Muppets have appeared in multiple television series, films, and other media appearances since the 1950s. The majority of the characters listed ...
, Roowlf the Dog, Janooce, and Snowth
*
Peter Linz
Peter Linz (born June 28, 1967) is an American puppeteer. His most prominent role is being the performer for the character Walter who was introduced in the 2011 feature film ''The Muppets''. Since 1991, Linz has performed on ''Sesame Street'', ...
as
Walter
Walter may refer to:
People
* Walter (name), both a surname and a given name
* Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968)
* Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...
,
Mutation, Droop, Nigel, Singing Food, and Snowth; Hippie (voice)
Archival recordings of Goelz,
Jim Henson
James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and '' Fraggle Rock'' (1983–1987) and ...
,
Frank Oz
Frank Oz (born Frank Richard Oznowicz; May 25, 1944) is an American actor, puppeteer, and filmmaker.
He began his career as a puppeteer, performing the Muppet characters of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle in ''The Muppet Show ...
,
Jerry Nelson
Jerry L. Nelson (July 10, 1934 – August 23, 2012) was an American puppeteer, best known for his work with The Muppets. Renowned for his wide range of characters and singing abilities, he performed Muppet characters on ''Sesame Street'', ' ...
, and
Richard Hunt can be heard in the film through ''
The Muppet Show
''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as a ser ...
'' segments in the opening flashbacks. Nelson also makes an uncredited cameo appearance as the telethon's announcer, reprising his role from ''The Muppet Show''. This would be the final time Nelson and his likeness would be used in a Muppet production before his death the following year.
Tyler Bunch
Tyler Bunch, also known as H.D. Quinn, is an American puppeteer, puppet designer, director, and actor.
Career
In addition to his work for the Jim Henson Company, Bunch has created and performed puppets for PBS, Nickelodeon and Disney's The Mu ...
,
Bruce Lanoil
Bruce Lanoil (born July 5, 1960) is an American puppeteer who works for The Jim Henson Company and for The Walt Disney Company. He frequently works with puppeteer David Alan Barclay.
Early life
Lanoil was born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 5, ...
,
Alice Dinnean
Alice Catherine Dinnean (born May 23, 1969) is an American puppeteer, voice actress and creative writer who works at The Jim Henson Company. Dinnean has performed on many children's television shows such as ''The Puzzle Place'', ''Sesame Street ...
, Nathan Danforth, and
Michelan Sisti
Michelan Sisti (born May 27, 1949) is an Puerto Rican-born American actor, puppeteer, director and musician who played Michelangelo in ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' and its sequel '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze''. H ...
all performed additional roles; Bunch playing Foozie Bear, Thog and one of the hobo Muppets, Lanoil playing one of the hobo Muppets and an item of singing food, Dinnean playing Wanda and Afghan Hound, Danforth playing one of the Mutations, and Sisti playing another item of singing food. Other additional performers include
Paul McGinnis
Paul McGinnis (born 1973) is an American puppeteer for ''Sesame Street'' and The Muppets. He has also performed in various non-Muppet television productions such as ''The Book of Pooh'', ''Julie's Greenroom'', ''The Wiz Live!'', '' Crash & Bernste ...
,
David Barclay,
Greg Ballora
Greg Ballora (born 1965, and also known as Gregory Ballora, Gregory B. Ballora and Gregory Bellora) is an American puppeteer.
Filmography Film
* ''Men in Black II'' – Sleeble
* ''The Muppets (film), The Muppets'' – Additional Muppets
* ''The ...
,
Kevin Carlson
Kevin D. Carlson (born April 12, 1962) is an American puppeteer, best known for his role of Mr. Potato Head in ''The Mr. Potato Head Show'' and the title character in ''The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth''.
Early life
Kevin D. Carlson was born a ...
,
Tim Blaney
Timothy Patrick Blaney (born April 23, 1959) is an American puppeteer and voice actor. He has provided the voices for Frank the Pug in ''Men in Black'', ''Men in Black II'', and '' Men in Black: International'', and the self-aware robot "Johnny ...
,
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph
Leslie Carrara, sometimes credited as Leslie Carrara-Rudolph or the misspelling Leslie Carrera-Rudolph, is an American actress, performer, puppeteer, speaker, singer and artist.
She is probably best known as a Muppet performer on ''Sesame Street' ...
, Kristin Charney, B.J. Guyer,
Tanya Haden
Tanya Haden Black (born October 11, 1971) is an American artist, musician, and singer. She is one of the triplet daughters of jazz bassist Charlie Haden. She is married to actor, comedian and musician Jack Black.
Career
Born in New York City, s ...
, Julia Gunn, Patrick Johnson, Sean Johnson, Len Levitt,
James Murray, Michael Oosterom,
Karen Prell
Karen Leigh Prell (born July 26, 1959) is an American puppeteer and animator. She is the performer of Red Fraggle in ''Fraggle Rock''.
Early life and career
Prell was born on July 26, 1959 in Florida but grew up in Seattle, Washington. She als ...
,
Mike Quinn
Michael Patrick Quinn (born April 15, 1974) is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans and Denver Broncos. ...
, David Skelly, Andy Stone, Art Vega, Alex Villa, and Chase Woolner.
Cameo performances
*
Emily Blunt
Emily Olivia Leah Blunt (born 23 February 1983) is a British actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three British Academy Film Awards. ...
as Miss Piggy's
receptionist
A receptionist is an employee taking an office or administrative support position. The work is usually performed in a waiting area such as a lobby or front office desk of an organization or business. The title ''receptionist'' is attributed to ...
at ''
Vogue Paris
The French edition of ''Vogue'' magazine, formerly called ''Vogue Paris'', is a fashion magazine that has been published since 1920.
History 1920–54
The French edition of ''Vogue'' was first issued on 15 June 1920, the first editor-in-chief ...
''. Blunt was both spoofing and reprising her prior role as Emily Charlton from ''
The Devil Wears Prada''.
*
James Carville
Chester James Carville Jr. (born October 25, 1944) is an American political consultant, author, and occasional actor who has strategized for candidates for public office in the United States and in at least 23 nations abroad. A Democrat, he is an ...
["Movie Cameos: Neil Patrick Harris, Whoopi Goldberg, & More!"](_blank)
. ToughPigs.com. Retrieved February 9, 2011. as Himself
* Feist (singer), Leslie Feist as Smalltown Resident
*
Jim Parsons
James Joseph Parsons (born March 24, 1973) is an American actor. From 2007 to 2019, he played Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory''. He has received various awards, including four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead A ...
as Walter's human appearance
* Whoopi Goldberg
as Herself
* Selena Gomez as Herself
*
Donald Glover
Donald McKinley Glover Jr. (; born September 25, 1983), also known by his stage name Childish Gambino (), is an American entertainer, writer, director, and producer. After working in Derrick Comedy while studying at New York University, Glove ...
as Junior CDE Executive
* Dave Grohl as Animool, a man dressed as Animal who is a member of the Moopets.
* Neil Patrick Harris
as Himself
* Judd Hirsch as Himself
* John Krasinski
["The New Muppet Movie Will Involve Lady Gaga"](_blank)
. ''New York''. Retrieved May 17, 2011. as Himself
* Rico Rodriguez (actor), Rico Rodriguez as Himself
* Mickey Rooney
["Mickey Rooney and Muppets"](_blank)
. ToughPigs.com. Retrieved May 17, 2011. as Elderly Smalltown Resident
Rob Corddry, Billy Crystal, Ricky Gervais, Kathy Griffin, Sarah Hyland, Sterling Knight, Wanda Sykes, and Danny Trejo were featured in scenes that were dropped from the Film editing, final cut of the film. Corddry, Gervais, and Trejo would later appear in ''
Muppets Most Wanted
''Muppets Most Wanted'' is a 2014 American musical crime comedy film and the eighth theatrical film featuring the Muppets. Directed by James Bobin and written by Bobin and Nicholas Stoller, the film is a sequel to ''The Muppets'' (2011) and stars ...
'' in different roles.
Production
Development
In 2008,
Jason Segel
Jason Jordan Segel ( ; born January 18, 1980) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Marshall Eriksen in the CBS sitcom ''How I Met Your Mother'', as well as for his work with director and pr ...
and
Nicholas Stoller
Nicholas Stoller (born March 19, 1976) is a British-American filmmaker. He is known mainly for directing the 2008 comedy ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'', its 2010 spin-off/sequel, ''Get Him to the Greek'', ''The Five-Year Engagement'', '' Neighbors ...
pitched a concept for a Muppets film to Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios executive vice-president of production Karen Falk, and they were offered a deal to develop their script, with David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman of
Mandeville Films
Mandeville Films is an American film production company headquartered in Burbank, California. Founded in 1995 by film producer David Hoberman, the company re-formed as Mandeville Films and Television in 2002 after a short hiatus for three years, ...
producing.
The news became public in March 2008 when ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' first reported that Disney had signed a deal with Segel and Stoller, with Segel and Stoller writing the script and Stoller directing.
In June 2008, Segel announced that he had turned in the first draft of his script and was hopeful that the film would live up to previous Muppets movies.
Later in 2008, Stoller noted that he and Segel had written an "old school Muppets movie, where the Muppets have to put on a show to save the studio." In this same interview, Stoller also confirmed that they would get as many cameos and guest stars as possible, and that Segel would play a ventriloquist.
[Walsh, Patrick]
"Interview with Nicholas Stoller, Director of 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall'"
. BloggingDundance.com (April 14, 2008). Retrieved May 17, 2011.
Originally, the film was titled ''The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time!!!'', and an early leak of the script suggested that it would feature celebrity cameos by Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Christian Bale, Ben Stiller, Steve Carell, George Clooney,
Jack Black
Thomas Jacob Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for his acting roles in the films '' High Fidelity'' (2000), ''Shallow Hal'' (2001), ''Orange County'' (2002), '' School of Rock'' (2003), ''E ...
, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Mel Brooks, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway,
Emily Blunt
Emily Olivia Leah Blunt (born 23 February 1983) is a British actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three British Academy Film Awards. ...
, Rachael Ray, Bob Saget, Lisa Lampanelli, Jeff Ross, and Charles Grodin.
["Ain't It Cool News – Script Review"](_blank)
. Retrieved May 17, 2011. Another former title of the film was ''The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made!'', after an unused script written by Jerry Juhl back in 1985. Although early reports indicated that Stoller would direct the film,
in January 2010 it was announced that
James Bobin
James Bobin is a British filmmaker. He worked as a director and writer on ''Da Ali G Show'' and helped create the characters of Ali G, Borat, and Brüno. With Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, he co-created ''Flight of the Conchords''. He direc ...
would direct the movie.
In February 2010, additional details about the plot surfaced, indicating that the film would be about a villain that wanted to drill for oil underneath the old Muppet Theater, and that the only way to stop him would be to put on a show that draws ten million viewers.
Reports from the summer of 2010 revealed that the production team had met with the creative heads at Pixar Animation Studios to fine tune the script.
During the summer of 2010, it was announced that the film would be released on Christmas 2011, but in December 2010, the release date was moved to Thanksgiving 2011.
In October 2010, it was confirmed that
Amy Adams
Amy Lou Adams (born August 20, 1974) is an American actress. Known for both her comedic and dramatic roles, she has been featured three times in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actresses. She has received various accolades, incl ...
,
Chris Cooper
Christopher Walton Cooper (born July 9, 1951) is an American actor. He has appeared in several major Hollywood films, including '' American Beauty'' (1999), ''October Sky'' (1999), '' The Bourne Identity'' (2002), ''Seabiscuit'' (2003), '' Cap ...
and
Rashida Jones
Rashida Leah Jones (; born February 25, 1976) is an American actress.
Jones appeared as Louisa Fenn on the Fox drama series ''Boston Public'' (2000–2002), as Karen Filippelli on the NBC comedy series ''The Office'' (2006–2009; 2011), and as ...
would also be starring in the film.
Over the next few months, several guest cameo announcements emerged, including, but not limited to
Emily Blunt
Emily Olivia Leah Blunt (born 23 February 1983) is a British actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three British Academy Film Awards. ...
, Ricky Gervais,
Zach Galifianakis
Zachary Knight Galifianakis (born October 1, 1969) is an American actor and comedian. He appeared in ''Comedy Central Presents'' special and presented his show ''Late World with Zach'' on VH1.
Galifianakis has starred in films including ''Th ...
, Billy Crystal,
Jack Black
Thomas Jacob Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for his acting roles in the films '' High Fidelity'' (2000), ''Shallow Hal'' (2001), ''Orange County'' (2002), '' School of Rock'' (2003), ''E ...
,
Alan Arkin
Alan Wolf Arkin (born March 26, 1934) is an American actor, director and screenwriter known for his performances on stage and screen. Throughout his career spanning over six decades, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award ...
and Dave Grohl.
However, Gervais, Crystal and several other cameos including Beth Broderick,
Kathy Griffin, Ed Helms,
Sterling Knight, Mila Kunis, Ben Stiller,
["Film Industry Network: George Clooney and Ben Stiller Muppets Movie".] Eric Stonestreet,
Wanda Sykes
Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Danny Trejo
were completely omitted from the film due to time constraints.
Jim Parsons
James Joseph Parsons (born March 24, 1973) is an American actor. From 2007 to 2019, he played Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory''. He has received various awards, including four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead A ...
' cameo was kept as a secret by producers despite rumors that leaked on the Internet regarding his role in the film. In a March 2009 interview on ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Late Late Show'', Segel revealed that he had asked host Craig Ferguson to appear in the film, and at the time, he (Ferguson) had been the only person that had agreed.
Ferguson was ultimately not given a role, for which he jokingly chastised Segel in a November 2011 interview.
A cameo was written for the ''Sesame Street'' Muppet Elmo, but was rejected by Disney's attorneys and representatives from Sesame Workshop.
During the summer of 2010, ''Flight of the Conchords (TV series), Flight of the Conchords'' co-star
Bret McKenzie
Bret Peter Tarrant McKenzie (born 29 June 1976) is a New Zealand musician, comedian, music supervisor, and actor. He is best known as one half of musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords along with Jemaine Clement. In the 2000s, the duo's com ...
flew to Los Angeles to serve as the music supervisor for ''The Muppets''.
Filming
Principal photography for ''The Muppets'' started in late 2010, with the first set photos emerging in December 2010.
The November 12, 2010, issue of ''Entertainment Weekly'' featured a spread about ''The Muppets'', including a summary of the film's concept, quotes from Segel and Bobin, the first images of Walter, and new photos of the Muppets with Segel.
Hollywood Boulevard was closed for two nights in January 2011 to film a reprise of "Life's a Happy Song", the final musical number for the movie.
According to /Film, the shoot involved Amy Adams, Jason Segel, and hundreds of extras performing an elaborate musical number outside the El Capitan Theatre.
The ''Los Angeles Times'' also noted that other musical numbers would appear in the film, including Kermit singing his signature song, "Rainbow Connection",
which he played on the same banjo that he used when he performed the song in ''The Muppet Movie'' (1979).
Universal Studios' Soundstage 28, most famous for containing the Paris Opera House set from ''The Phantom of the Opera (1925 film), The Phantom of the Opera'', served as interiors for The Muppet Theater, whereas the El Capitan Theatre (with a digitally changed marquee) served as the exterior. Scenes set in Smalltown were filmed at the Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Studios' backlot and Disney's Golden Oak Ranch, and the fictional "Muppet Studios" were filmed with exterior shots at the Jim Henson Company Lot and interior shots at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, Burbank.
Other filming locations included Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, 363 Copa De Oro Road, Pink Palace Mansion in Bel Air, Los Angeles, Bel Air, the Crossroads of the World, TCL Chinese Theatre, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and the City National Plaza in downtown Los Angeles (acting as the interior of Bank of America Center (Los Angeles), Richman Oil's headquarters, although the Bank of America Center (Los Angeles), Bank of America Center is represented instead).
Scooter's scene in the Muppet reunion montage was filmed at Google's Zurich headquarters in Switzerland. Although principal photography was completed on February 11, 2011, on April 26, 2011, a second unit film crew traveled to Reno, Nevada to film some exterior shots, including a scene in the Bonanza Casino parking lot with some Muppet characters, and a small shot looking into the casino.
The film required extensive Chroma key, blue-screen shots and Matte (filmmaking), matte backgrounds. In the scene where Walter is running atop a dresser, the puppeteers performed Walter's choreography while wearing blue costumes Compositing, against a blue screen.
The result had the puppeteers completely gone from the final shot. Look Effects were responsible for those visual effects shots, whereas Legacy Effects designed the mechanics for
'80s Robot.
A majority of the Muppet characters were also completely rebuilt for the film.
Music
The majority of the songs for ''The Muppets'' were written by
Bret McKenzie
Bret Peter Tarrant McKenzie (born 29 June 1976) is a New Zealand musician, comedian, music supervisor, and actor. He is best known as one half of musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords along with Jemaine Clement. In the 2000s, the duo's com ...
, who previously worked with Bobin on a television series based on McKenzie's band Flight of the Conchords. One of the film's five songs, "Pictures in My Head", was produced by McKenzie and written by Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis, and Chen Neeman. At the Muppets performers' behest, McKenzie rewrote lyrics where the characters directly referred to themselves as puppets.
McKenzie was also informed during recording sessions with the performers that certain Muppets (such as chickens and penguins) do not speak and instead vocalize in onomatopoeic sounds. The film's score was composed by
Christophe Beck
Jean-Christophe Beck (born November 30, 1972) is a Canadian television and film score composer and conductor. He is a brother of pianist Chilly Gonzales. He is best known for his collaborations with Disney and its subsidiaries, which include comp ...
. Beck described his role as having to "help tell the story musically, providing a sort of emotional glue―I had to pay special
attention to blending the many styles of music so that it felt cohesive." Beck employed instruments he considered underused, as well as ones rarely used in an orchestral setting, such as the banjo.
The film's original soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records on November 22, 2011, followed by a Spanish version of the soundtrack released as ''Los Muppets: Banda Sonora Original de Walt Disney Records'' on December 6, 2011. McKenzie won an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for the song "
Man or Muppet
"Man or Muppet" is a song from Disney's 2011 musical comedy film ''The Muppets'', written by singer-songwriter Bret McKenzie. Performed by the film's main characters, Gary (Jason Segel) and Walter (Peter Linz), the song also features Bill Barrett ...
", beating out "Real in Rio" from ''Rio (2011 film), Rio''. "Life's a Happy Song" and "Pictures in my Head" were also included in the Academy's shortlist for
Best Original Song
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
. Although it was the fourth Muppet film to receive an Oscar nomination, this was the first time a Muppet film had won an Academy Award and the first Muppet film nominated for Best Original Song since 1981's ''The Great Muppet Caper'' and the first time a Muppet film in general had been nominated for any kind of Academy Award since 1984's ''The Muppets Take Manhattan''.
Release
''The Muppets'' premiered at the 2011 Savannah Film Festival, and held its world premiere on November 12, 2011, at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. The film was theatrically released in the United States on November 23, 2011, and in the United Kingdom on February 10, 2012.
Originally, the film was set to be released in the United States on Christmas 2011, but it was later moved to Thanksgiving 2011.
It was also the opening gala at the 2012 Glasgow Youth Film Festival. The film was accompanied by Pixar, Pixar's ''Toy Story Toons'' short ''Small Fry (film), Small Fry''.
It was the first Disney film to use the modified version of the 2006
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Studios uni ...
Disney logo, logo, in which "Walt Disney Pictures" was shortened to "Disney", which was originally used in home media releases in 2007.
Segel and Adams appeared at CinemaCon in March 2011, to promote the project, showcasing several clips from the film.
Clips from the film were also shown at Suffolk University in April 2011 during a Q&A with David Hoberman, Steve Whitmire and Kermit the Frog. Although there had been some speculation that the cast would appear at San Diego Comic-Con, Comic-Con, no official announcement was made.
Marketing
In May 2011,
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character created and originally performed by Jim Henson. Introduced in 1955, Kermit serves as the everyman protagonist of numerous Muppet productions, most notably ''Sesame Street'' and ''The Muppet Show'', as well ...
attended the world premiere of ''Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides'' at Disneyland to promote the upcoming Muppets release.
A spoof romantic comedy trailer for the movie was attached to ''Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides'', and it was later released online under the faux name ''Green with Envy''.
Additional spoof trailers parodied ''The Hangover Part II'' (called ''The Fuzzy Pack''), ''Green Lantern (film), Green Lantern'' (called ''Being Green''), ''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011 film), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'' (called ''The Pig with the Froggy Tattoo''), ''Paranormal Activity 3'' (called ''Abnormal Activity''), ''Happy Feet Two'' (called ''Dancing on Happy Feet''), ''Puss in Boots (2011 film), Puss in Boots'' (called ''Fuss in Boots'') and ''The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1'' (called ''Breaking Prawn'').
In November 2011, Brooks Brothers announced that it had designed a custom wardrobe for
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character created and originally performed by Jim Henson. Introduced in 1955, Kermit serves as the everyman protagonist of numerous Muppet productions, most notably ''Sesame Street'' and ''The Muppet Show'', as well ...
for the movie.
On August 23, 2011, Walt Disney Records released ''Muppets: The Green Album'', a tribute album of popular Muppet songs performed by multiple contemporary artists, as part of the film's promotion., as well as reissuing the The Muppets: A Green and Red Christmas, 2006 Christmas album on November 1, 2011. The Muppets also performed "Life's a Happy Song" on the November 15, 2011 episode of the American version of ''Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 13), Dancing with the Stars''.
Segel hosted ''Saturday Night Live'' on November 19, 2011, with the Muppets as guests. Kermit appeared on the Weekend Update segment, doing a "Really!?!" segment.
The Muppets were guest stars on WWE Monday Night RAW and interacted with several WWE Superstars including Jack Swagger, Hornswoggle, and Sheamus. They also joined Olly Murs on stage during the UK version of ''The X Factor (UK series 8), The X Factor'' on November 27, 2011, to perform his new single "Dance With Me Tonight (Olly Murs song), Dance With Me Tonight" and promote their new film.
An Mobile apps, iPhone app called ''Tap Tap (series), Tap Tap Muppets'' was released for the iPhone the day prior to the film's release. The app features six new musical numbers and three classic Muppet songs: "The Muppet Show Theme," "Rainbow Connection," and "Mah Nà Mah Nà."
Home media
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released ''The Muppets'' on Blu-ray Disc, DVD, and Digital distribution, digital download on March 20, 2012, the same day
the Muppets
The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety- sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses ...
received a collective star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The release was produced in four different physical packages: a three-disc combo pack (Blu-ray, DVD, and digital copy) with #Soundtrack, soundtrack download ("The Wocka Wocka Value Pack); a two-disc combo pack (Blu-ray and DVD); a one-disc DVD with soundtrack download; and a one-disc DVD without soundtrack download. The film was released digitally in high-definition video, high definition and standard definition. The two-disc edition's supplementary features include bloopers, deleted and alternate scenes, "Muppet Intermission", "Scratching the Surface: A Hasty Examination of the Making of Disney's ''The Muppets''", the fully intact version of "Let's Talk About Me", "A Little Screen Test on the Way to the Read Through," and an audio commentary with Jason Segel, James Bobin, and Nicholas Stoller. The three-disc combo pack also includes the theatrical spoof trailers (including exclusive, unreleased parody trailers of ''Rise of the Planet of the Apes'' and ''Fast Five'') and a digital download of the soundtrack, while still including the same features as the two-disc combo pack.
''The Muppets'' debuted at No. 2 in Blu-ray and DVD sales in the United States according to Nielsen Company, Nielsen's sales chart. The film generated an additional $58.3 million in home media sales.
Reception
Box office
''The Muppets'' was a commercial success, accumulating a box office gross nearly quadruple its $45 million budget. It grossed $6.5 million on its opening day and debuted in second place, behind ''The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1''. The following day, Thanksgiving Day, the film grossed $5.8 million for a two-day total of $12.5 million. From Friday to Sunday, ''The Muppets'' grossed $29.2 million, while holding onto the No. 2 spot. Overall, the film grossed $41.5 million in five days; during which, it outgrossed every previous Muppet film, excluding ''The Muppet Movie''. The film closed on April 5, 2012, having grossed $88,631,237 in North America, along with $76,553,000 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $165,184,237, becoming the List of highest-grossing puppet films, highest-grossing puppet film and the first film in the series to gross over $100 million worldwide (unadjusted for inflation).
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 95% based on 228 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Clever, charming, and heartfelt, ''The Muppets'' is a welcome big screen return for Jim Henson's lovable creations that will both win new fans and delight longtime devotees."
On Metacritic, the film has a score of 75 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave ''The Muppets'' an "A" grade rating on an A+ to F scale.
Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film three stars out of four, praising the revitalized Muppets and their distinctive personalities.
Justin Chang of ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' called it "an unexpected treat," noting that the film effortlessly blends "wised-up, self-reflective humor with old-fashioned let's-put-on-a-show pizzazz."
Todd McCarthy of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' praised the film as "A mostly winning return for childhood favorites from a prior century [that] looks to accomplish its goal of pleasing old fans and winning new ones." Alonso Duralde of ''The Wrap'' agreed writing that, "''The Muppets'' has the same brilliant absurdity, anarchic humor, subtle uplift and ensemble comedy that fans have come to expect over the years." Both the ''Los Angeles Times'' and ''Entertainment Weekly'' praised the screenplay's self-referential humor,
Jason Segel
Jason Jordan Segel ( ; born January 18, 1980) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Marshall Eriksen in the CBS sitcom ''How I Met Your Mother'', as well as for his work with director and pr ...
and
Amy Adams
Amy Lou Adams (born August 20, 1974) is an American actress. Known for both her comedic and dramatic roles, she has been featured three times in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actresses. She has received various accolades, incl ...
' supporting roles, and the film's clever employment of Cameo appearance, cameos.
Michael Phillips (critic), Michael Phillips gave the film three out of four stars, positively summarizing that "those of us who've had Muppets in our memory since childhood will find ourselves in a state of contentment." Peter Travers, writing for ''Rolling Stone'', commended the film's musical segments, particularly
Bret McKenzie
Bret Peter Tarrant McKenzie (born 29 June 1976) is a New Zealand musician, comedian, music supervisor, and actor. He is best known as one half of musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords along with Jemaine Clement. In the 2000s, the duo's com ...
's "
Man or Muppet
"Man or Muppet" is a song from Disney's 2011 musical comedy film ''The Muppets'', written by singer-songwriter Bret McKenzie. Performed by the film's main characters, Gary (Jason Segel) and Walter (Peter Linz), the song also features Bill Barrett ...
". ''The Boston Globe'' also gave it three out of four stars and said, "The result is refreshing on every level, a piece of nostalgia so old it's new again, and a breather from Hollywood's 3-D digital onslaught in favor of fur and fuzz." Christopher Kelly of the ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'' stated that the film was "much more than just an affectionate reimagining of familiar Muppets routines, [but it] is rooted in real emotions and characters," and that "they remain as committed as ever to doing what Muppets do best: putting on a grand show."
Pre-release criticism
Prior to the film's release, some past Muppet performers were reportedly critical about the film's portrayal of the characters. Retired Muppet performer
Frank Oz
Frank Oz (born Frank Richard Oznowicz; May 25, 1944) is an American actor, puppeteer, and filmmaker.
He began his career as a puppeteer, performing the Muppet characters of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle in ''The Muppet Show ...
initially disapproved of the script and thought that the early version was disrespectful toward the characters.
After the film's release, Oz modified his earlier statements:
Accolades
Sequel
In March 2012, after the critical and commercial success of the film, Disney secured a deal with Bobin and Stoller to direct and write, respectively, a new installment.
Later that month, Segel stated that he would have no involvement in the sequel. On April 24, Disney officially announced that the sequel was in development and that Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell, and Tina Fey were cast in the film, with Hoberman and Lieberman returning as producers, as well as McKenzie returning to write the film's songs. ''
Muppets Most Wanted
''Muppets Most Wanted'' is a 2014 American musical crime comedy film and the eighth theatrical film featuring the Muppets. Directed by James Bobin and written by Bobin and Nicholas Stoller, the film is a sequel to ''The Muppets'' (2011) and stars ...
'' was released on March 21, 2014.
References
External links
* at Disney.com
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Muppets, The
The Muppets films
2011 films
2010s musical comedy films
American satirical films
American musical comedy films
Films based on television series
Films directed by James Bobin
Films with screenplays by Jason Segel
Films with screenplays by Nicholas Stoller
Films scored by Christophe Beck
Puppet films
Films set in 2011
Films set in Cannes
Films set in Paris
Films set in Los Angeles
Films set in Nevada
Films set in studio lots
Films set in a theatre
Films shot in Los Angeles
Films shot in Nevada
Films shot in Paris
Films that won the Best Original Song Academy Award
Reboot films
Jukebox musical films
Mandeville Films films
Walt Disney Pictures films
Backstage musicals
2011 directorial debut films
2011 comedy films
Films produced by David Hoberman
Films produced by Todd Lieberman
2010s English-language films
2010s American films