Official Plot Synopsis and New Release Date for the New Muppet Movie!

Hey, howdy, hey, Muppet fans! Remember Tuesday? Ah, yes, Tuesday... such innocence... such verve... such a thesaurus, apparently. On Tuesday, the new Muppet movie was over a year away from our seeing it with a release date of December 25, 2011. Well, here we are, Thursday, and we're now less than a year away with a brand new release date of November 23, 2011! How weird is it to think that in a mere 349 days, you and I will be able to sit in a theater with over-priced popcorn and a six dollar soda--and WE'LL BE WATCHING THE MUPPETS!! The caps locks and italics emphasize my excitement enough, I think... because there's quite a bit of it. So, take a look at Disney's official press release via The Muppets Studio's Facebook page and join me as I jump for joy at the prospect of Kermit, Gonzo, Lew Zealand, Wanda Sykes, Walter, and Uncle Deadly on the big screen in less than a year!

DISNEY TO RELEASE NEW MUPPETS MOVIE THANKSGIVING 2011
BURBANK, Calif. – December 8, 2010 – The Walt Disney Studios announced today that it has moved the release date for its upcoming The Muppets Movie to November 23, 2011.  Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie the Bear, Gonzo, Animal and the rest of the gang will reunite in theaters just in time for the 2011 Thanksgiving holiday weekend.


"Disney has had incredible success opening films over the Thanksgiving weekend, and thanks to Tangled, we have the top three Thanksgiving openers of all time,” said Chuck Viane, president of global distribution for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. “I have spoken with The Muppets, and we all agreed this comedy is a great fit for the holiday 2011 time frame.”


The Muppets star alongside Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, and Rashida Jones.  The movie will feature cameos by Alan Arkin, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Billy Crystal, Wanda Sykes, and more surprise appearances.  The feature film, currently shooting in Los Angeles, was written by Segel and Nicholas Stoller, and is being directed by James Bobin.


Commenting on the new release date, Miss Piggy noted “it was actually moi’s idea to open the movie then,” stating she wants to give everyone a big reason to give thanks next Thanksgiving. “It doesn’t get any bigger than moi…. And don’t you dare quote that out of context!”

And besides all of that huge excitement, an official synopsis for the film, now probably pretty officially called The Muppets, has been released to our friends over at StichKingdom.com. Check it out below!

"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 reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino house 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."

Awesome. AWESOME! It's happening, it's real, and... it looks like it's going to be pretty darn awesome. Gonzo as a high-powered plumbing magnate? Awesome.

Only 349 days, Muppet fans!!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

What I'm Thankful For, 2010

Ryan Dosier - Greetings, Muppet fans! You'll remember that last year I declared today the International Day of Muppet Things I'm Thankful For to coincide with American Thanksgiving. Well, I'm not one to break a new annual traditions that early... so I'm here once again with a list of things I'm thankful for this year! (Kept relatively short because I'm literally writing this while food is being made and it smells way too good for me to sit here for too much longer.)

• Sesame Street - Now in its 41st season, the show that has taught me how to laugh, love, and learn still dazzles me every day. I tune in whenever I can to see the fun of Elmo, Telly, and Abby playing "The A-Team" or Super Grover 2.0 blundering while dealing with some new problem or will.i.am and the Muppets gathering to sing "What I Am." I'm so thankful that Sesame Street is still around for the kid inside--and outside--all of us. It is a true treasure that I'm thankful for every day.

• The Muppets - The new Muppet movie written by and starring Jason Segel has been under production for just over a few weeks now--and I couldn't be more thrilled! We've already seen pictures from the set, we've already met new Muppet, Walter, and it's already beyond exciting. I can't wait to see what more there is for us to be blown away by! I'm so ridiculously thankful that this project is actually happening... and that in just over a year's time, we'll be able to go to a theater and actually watch the movie.

• New Friends - I've had the extreme pleasure of making some incredible new friends this year--ones that I'm thankful for constantly. Some friends I've made since last year's post include Jarrod Fairclough, Joe Hennes, Ryan Roe, Anthony Strand, Danny Beckwith, James Silvani, Jesse Blaze Snider, Matt Vogel, Bill Barretta, Emilio Delgado, Fran Brill, Zoe, and plenty of other people I'm probably forgetting... but like I said, this is food-induced amnesia, I swear. I'm thankful for all of you!
• Old Friends - And, of course, every day I'm thankful for all of my friends, not just the new ones. Friends like Lisa "The Intern" Alexander, Matthew Drapper, Louis Henry Mitchell, James Gannon, Steve Swanson, Dave Hulteen, Jr., Beth Kondrick, Ed Castle, Shane Keating, Michael Wermuth, Jr., and many, many others remind me every day why I started this blog--and I'm beyond thankful to them for that!
• You - I think I said this last year... but above all, I'm thankful for you, Muppet fans. You're why The Muppet Mindset is even remotely a success, you're why I keep it going every day, and you're the reason I'm most thankful. So thank you for everything you do without even knowing you do it!

And now... if you'll excuse me, I think there's a turkey calling my name.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

What I'm Thankful For

What I’m Thankful For

Every Thanksgiving my family sits around the massive dining room table and stuffs ourselves full of turkey, macaroni and cheese, green beans, and my famous homemade mashed potatoes (only famous around said dining room table). After the meal, when we’re all almost too full to speak, we go around the table and discuss what we’re each thankful for. Every year I say the same thing, “Family, friends, and laughter.”

Every year I always want to say something a little bit different: “Family, friends, laughter, The Muppets, and Sesame Street.” I don’t say this to avoid strange looks from my grandmother who doesn’t know the difference between Gonzo and Grover and to avoid pestering from my cousins after the feast.

This year I’m also thankful for The Muppet Mindset. Now I can say that I’m thankful for these things without the awkward glances. Well… without most of the awkward glances.

I’m thankful for The Muppets…
I’m thankful for The Muppets’ new Bohemian Rhapsody video on YouTube (over 3,000,000 views—and rising!) has truly given me and all Muppet fans something to be thankful for. We can be thankful that we all witnessed what I believe will be the first real sign of the Muppets’ return to popularity. The video has already become a viral sensation and appeals to people of all walks. If this video is any sign of what the Muppets will be doing from now on… we’re in for a revolution.

I’m thankful for Kermit the Real. Earlier this year, Kermit the Frog was being performed by someone other than Steve Whitmire and the performance and the character really suffered. (Dating Lady Gaga? My goodness, how the frog had fallen!) Thankfully, Steve and Kermit both returned at the end of September and have stuck around ever since. Don’t leave us again, okay Steve?

I’m thankful for Disney Park’s “Give a Day. Get a Disney Day.” promotion for 2010. The Muppets have headlined all of the promotions from commercials to talk-show appearances to websites to magazine ads—and I couldn’t be happier. I feel that this really shows that Disney has welcomed The Muppets into the family and sees them vitally important characters. If they can entrust them with all of the promotional material for their Parks (their biggest money maker), methinks they can entrust them with anything.

I’m thankful for Sesame Street…
I’m thankful for 40 Years of making the world sunnier. Sesame Street’s 40th Anniversary festivities have been some of the greatest moments of 2009 for me, and they continue to delight. From the “40 Years of Sunny Days” DVD to the “Sesame Street: A Celebration – 40 Years of Life on the Street” book, Sesame Street puts a smile on my face daily as of late. I couldn’t be more thankful.

I’m thankful for SesameStreet.org. It has provided us laughter, songs, and sketches for free online for all to access. Hours and hours of content (most never before released on video or DVD) is available to everyone. Also, they’ve given fans the opportunity to vote for The Greatest Sesame Street Clip of All-Time (which ended up being “I Love Trash”). What more could you need to be thankful for?

I’m thankful for my good friend Louis Henry Mitchell. Louis has been an amazing friend to me since our first interview and continues to be a great person who has done so much for me already. I’m thankful to have a friend in Louis and I’m also thankful that he loves Sesame Street so much and knows it so well. He is responsible for the amazing Google logos, the stunning 40th Anniversary cast photo, the cover of the November 9-15 issue of TV Guide, and so much more. Thank you, Louis!

I’m thankful for Muppet fans…
Without all of you, I wouldn’t be writing this right now. Without all of you I would have no reason for The Muppet Mindset. If it weren’t for my desire to bring a daily dose of Muppets to the Muppet fans of the world, there would be no Muppet Mindset. This blog has opened up so many opportunities for me—things I never thought would happen to me. I’ve interviewed and communicated frequently with Muppet writer Jim Lewis (whom I’m also extremely thankful for), interviewed Muppet comic book writers and artists, communicated with Muppeteers and Muppet higher-ups… it’s a dream come true and I can only think to thank all of you for it. So I’m thankful for you, Muppet fans, for helping my dream become a reality.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! And, if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, happy first-annual International Day of Muppet Things I’m Thankful For. Watch “Bohemian Rhapsody” in celebration!

P.S. I'm thankful for friends and family too...












The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier.

News Update: November 25

NEWS UPDATE: November 25, 2009
Today's News Update is all about The Muppets (go figure). In case you were somehow indisposed yesterday and unable to get to a computer and missed the undeniable return of the Muppets to the spotlight, be sure to watch The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody in glorious HD on YouTube now! You too can be one of the nearly 1,000,000 viewers of the incredible video.

Did you enjoy the songs from A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa? Do you wish you could be Santa Claus just like Gonzo and Fozzie? Well then Amazon.com and iTunes are where you need to frolic! Both are offering the soundtrack for Letters to Santa at the incredibly low prices of $2.71 and $2.99 respectively. The audio tracks are all clear and wonderful, so I highly recommend checking this out!

Do you have a Twitter? Do you like The Muppets? Then you had better be following MuppetsStudio official page on Twitter! (Hey, they're following me, I had to plug it!) Be sure to check out their official YouTube channel to see all of the Muppet viral videos in HD!

Be sure to remember to check out the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tomorrow (Thursday, November 26) on NBC. There are tons of Muppet sightings to watch out for. Sesame Street will be there in full force with the 123 Sesame Street float and the Sesame Street gang performing a medley of "What Makes Music" and "Sing," along with an Abby Cadabby balloon.

Also at the parade, Kermit will be singing his hit from last year's parade, "I Believe," with Disney Channel "star" Tiffany Thornton. After the parade, Disney Channel will debut a music video of the duet (Dec. 4th) and release the single on iTunes for purchasing (Dec. 8th). The Muppet Newsflash has all the info (and pictures)!

Remember the unruly rant Sesame Street took against FOX News? Well, then you surely remember all of the unnecessary media backlash (covered brilliantly by ToughPigs), right? Well, lucky for us, Sesame Street finally stood up for themselves on FOX News' "The O'Reilly Factor" with Bill O'Reilly. Sherrie Westin, who does something at Sesame Street, appeared on the show with a new Grouch anchor, Spill O'Reilly, to debunk the rumors and the backlash. I'm proud of Sesame Street for standing up for their parodies the only way they know how--with more parodies!












The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier.