News Update: April 23, 2010

NEWS UPDATE: April 23, 2010
Disney Parks is coming out out with some neat new Star Wars pins of the Muppets to coincide with the Star Wars Weekends at Walt Disney World this summer. Rumor has it, the pins could be turned into another toy set. Somehow, Star Wars and Muppets are just a great combination.

The Muppet Pook-a-Looz, consisting of Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, and Animal, are now available at Disneystore.com. For a limited time, two of these disfigured cuties are available for only $20, so pick out a couple (or more than a couple) and do some shopping.

If you happen to be in LA on May 1st, make sure to stop by Meltdown Comics to see Red Fraggle and Karen Prell LIVE (why is "live" always in capslock?) starting at 11 am PST. Fraggle Rock comic book writer Sam Humphries and artist Jeremy Love will also be there. More information is available at the Archaia Comics website!

If you're NOT in LA, but you are in New York... or, if you're really lucky and are in New York now and going to LA later... Anyway, if you're in New York any time from now until May 2nd, you should really go see the The Jim Henson Company's "Stuffed and Unstrung." Why? Two words: Bill Barretta. Oh, and during the second week, five words: Bill Barretta and Brian Henson. What more could you want?

The new Muppet movie got another announcement, this one in Associate Press and alongside the announcement of a sequel to "Monsters, Inc," which ain't bad company for our fine felt friends. No word yet on any affiliation between the Muppet monsters and Monsters, Inc.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

News Update: March 19, 2010

NEWS UPDATE: March 19, 2010

Big news this week from our good friends at TVShowsOnDVD.com who announced this week that the Jim Henson classic comedy special, Dog City will be released on DVD on June 8, 2010. An early look at the DVD cover art (pictured at right) shows that Rowlf, a prominent player in the spcecial, will be in the special. This is a great sign for Disney/Henson relations for future releases. I'll keep you posted on any future updates about the DVD and its release.
 
Remember when the Muppets appeared on Christmas at Rockefeller Center on NBC this past December? As you'll recall, most of the country only got to see Kermit and the gang singing "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and missed out on seeing The Electric Mayhem's first television performance in years. Well, some kind soul has uploaded the video of Dr. Teeth and the band performing "Run, Run Rudolph." Be sure to check it out. It's fantastic to see the triumphant return of everyone's favorite band!

In other news, "Muppet King Arthur" #3 and "The Muppet Show Comic Book: On the Road" #3 have been released these past two weeks and are showing very positive reviews. Be sure to check your local comic book store for these great continuations of these Muppet stories.

Various Hollywood insiders are reporting that Jason Segel will officially play the human lead in the new Muppet movie. Which... is something that most Muppet fans have assumed since the script was announced (probably because Segel said he was going to play the human lead). Still no word on the official plot or title of the film (they're still fighting with marquee companies on how to fit "The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time" or "The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made" onto their signs.












The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

News Update: February 12, 2010

NEWS UPDATE: February 12, 2010
Kermit and Sweetums played a big part in Walt Disney World's "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" presentation at EPCOT yesterday. Kermit joked around with Tom Staggs, Chairman of Disney Parks and Resorts, about cans of peas and other volunteering puns. Jim Hill has news and pictures available. Just gotta love that frog!

Also in the news, The Playlist blog has a "new" review of the new Muppet movie script--this time claiming that the title has once again been changed back to "The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time." There's still no official word yet on whether it has truthfully been changed (again), but this blog post does add some interesting elements considering their script draft was dated October 2009, a month after the announcement of "The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made" at D23.

A week ago, The MuppetCast posted an hour-long interview with Muppeteer Steve Whitmire. The hour-long listening time may seem daunting, but I promise that it is more than worth the time spent. Steve discusses character development, "Bohemian Rhapsody," upcoming projects, America's Got Talent, and more! Be sure to check it out!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

News Update: January 29, 2010

NEWS UPDATE: January 29, 2010

Our good friends at ToughPigs have the scoop on the next Muppet Fairy Tale comic from BOOM! Studios. "Muppet Snow White" is set to be released in April 2010. Jesse Snyder will be writing the book and The Muppet Show Comic Book #0 - Pigs in Space artist Shelli Paroline will be handling interior art duties. As for the rampant cast of Muppets performing in the book? From the cover art, it appears that Kermit will be playing the prince, Miss Piggy will be the evil queen, Fozzie Bear will be the Magic Mirror on the Wall, and the Electric Mayhem (including Lips) will portray the Dwarfs. And who is playing the titular character? Believe it or not, it's Muppets Tonight pig hotty (what an awkward thing to say), Spamella Hamderson. You'll notice that there are only six dwarfs at the moment so it will be interesting to see who the seventh is (and if Spamella can remember her lines).

New York Entertainment magazine is reporting that Disney has out-sourced once again to find a new director for the new Muppet movie (still title The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made as far as we know). Disney has tapped James Bobin, director of the now-canceled HBO musical comedy show Flight of the Concords. The article says that no deal has been set in stone yet, but the film has been offered to Bobin if he wants it. Which is all well and good, but the really exciting part of the article is that the Disney insider who gave them this information also said that the film is expected to start shooting late this summer. Does it get any more exciting than that?

And, finally, while we at the Mindset are still over-joyed by the fact that we hosted our first interview with a Muppeteer yesterday, we are extremely excited to announce that in just two days we will feature another. That's right, this Sunday we will begin with the first of our three part interview with a true Muppet legend. I can't reveal who it is, but I can give the readers a hint... He performed a whole bunch of characters in "Bohemian Rhapsody."

What? That wasn't a good enough hint? Well... sorry. You'll just have to wait until Sunday!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Muppet Movies

Ryan Dosier - Hey, remember a few months ago when Disney announced that they were making a new Muppet movie called The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made? Yes, think hard now... because they did! We ravenous Muppet fans can only assume that the film is in pre-production as we type. We're still unsure if the film is being written by Jason Segel, Jim Lewis, Steven Spielberg (hey, it's always a possibility!), or some unknown--but what we do know is that it will be a Muppet movie. We've had many Muppet movies in the past--even The Muppet Movie--some more successful than others. What is it that makes a good Muppet movie you ask? Well, I've done little research and am basing my opinions entirely on my own... opinions--but these are The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Muppet Movies.

7.)   LEW ZEALAND
Yes, Lew Zealand is a habit of highly effective Muppet movies. Why? How? Well... he has been in every one--with at least one line in all but Muppet Treasure Island (but Muppet buffs will know that he does sing a bar in the extended version of "Cabin Fever" on the soundtrack). For some reason Lew is on a very exclusive list of Muppets to have appeared in every film; including Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Bunsen, Beaker, Rowlf, Statler, Waldorf, The Electric Mayhem, and Sam Eagle. Not even Scooter has appeared in every film, and he was a major character throughout the entire run of The Muppet Show!

The only explanation for this is that Lew Zealand is part of some sort of fish-thrower's guild, requiring him to appear in every film. I am not sure how he became a part of said guild... but I'll start hurling grouper too if it means I'll be in the next Muppet movie!

6.)   ROMANCE
No, Miss Piggy did not pay me to include this on the list. It is a well-known fact that the most successful Muppet movies, as wacky and crazy they may be, all had a backbone of frog and pig romance to fall back on. Everyone remembers Kermit and Miss Piggy's infamous date with Steve Martin in The Muppet Movie, their raucous song and dance number in the DuBonet Club in The Great Muppet Caper, their scandalous wedding in The Muppets Take Manhattan, their illegitimate children in The Muppet Christmas Carol, and their passionate-pirate love affair in Muppet Treasure Island. Miss Piggy even snuck in a froggy tushy pinch in The Muppets' Wizard of Oz--and who can forget their sensuous sunscreen exchange in A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa?

Whatever occurs in this next Muppet movie, the frog and the pig need to have a romantic subplot. Not only has this aspect been sorely missing for years, but it truly is a habit of highly effective Muppet movies. Everyone knows about the will they/won't they relationship between Kermit and Piggy--now is the time to tap into it! We don't want another Muppets From Space theatrical bomb, do we?

5.)   MUPPET
A word is a highly effective habit? Yes, it is. Every single Muppet movie has had the word "Muppet" in the title in some form. This is probably just used for sheer public marketing purposes; but, c'mon, it makes sense! Why would you have a Muppet movie without the word Muppet in it? You wouldn't have an Alvin and the Chipmunks movie called, "Nuts for Trying." Nay, you would call it, "Alvin and the Chipmunks are Nuts for Trying."

Since the new movie already seems to have a set title with Muppet in it, I won't waffle on this habit too long. But for all further projects, let's avoid titles like Letters to Santa, okay? Even if you toss "A Muppets Christmas" in front of it, it isn't highly effective. How about "Muppet Letters to Santa" or "Letters to Muppets"? ...Scratch that. Keep the last one as a segment on the new Muppet show, though.

4.)   BEAR NECESSITY
Excuse the lame pun, but I feel it fits Fozzie well. The fourth of the highly effective habits is the one and only Fozzie Bear. In the past, Fozzie has simply been tossed into Muppet movies just to have him there (I'm looking at you, Fozziwig and Squire Trelawney!). When this happens, Fozzie's relationship with Kermit suffers immensely. The frog and the bear are the two best friends that drive the plots of the best films. The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper are, in a way, buddy movies starring Kermit and Fozzie (and Gonzo). Bringing back the frog and the bear dynamic is just as important as the frog and the pig. The only reason this one ranks higher is because it has been missing more than the other. Fozzie is the one Kermit can turn to when he's out of ideas, Kermit is the one Fozzie can turn to... always.

Kermit and Fozzie have returned as a duo in recent films--most notably It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie and Letters to Santa and in promotional interviews for The Muppet Show Season 3 on DVD--and hopefully they will continue to do so. Steve Whitmire and Eric Jacobson have fantastic chemistry as these two characters, and it needs to be tapped!

3.)   MUSIC
Remember how much people didn't like Muppets From Space? Have you ever stopped and wondered why? Well, if so, you should have come up with this blaring fact: There was only one song truly performed by the Muppets--and it wasn't even the Muppets who performed it (Gonzo's relatives did, of course). Every Muppet movie has music and every Muppet movie needs music. It is important for the characters, the story, and the movie itself. Without music, the Muppets can grow flat. Music that is good, catchy, and evenly-dispersed throughout the film will lead to a highly effective Muppet movie.

Another thing that can be tacked on to this habit is Paul Williams. His music is always the best fit for the Muppets. Let's bring him back again, shall we?

2.)   HEART
This one should pretty much go without saying. Behind every explosion, flipping penguin, and singing pig, there is heart. No matter how rampant the crazy may run, heart is always the biggest overriding aspect of every Muppet movie. Be it "Rainbow Connection" in The Muppet Movie, Gonzo's loneliness in Muppets From Space, or Tiny Tim in The Muppet Christmas Carol, there is always heart more than anything else. There is always love between the Muppets, the desire to do what is right, and a hug to tie it all together.

No matter what the plot of the movie may be, the heart needs to be the most important thing. If there is no heart, there is no Muppets. And who would you hire to do a Muppet movie instead? The Smurfs?

1.)   SOMETHING SILLY
Yeah, heart is important... okay, so the frog and the pig should share a moment... and yeah, Lew Zealand needs to pop up somewhere... but who wants to go see a Muppet movie that isn't funny? Above all, make the people laugh! If you can be silly and unhinged while retaining Lew Zealand, frog/pig love, the word Muppet, Kermit and Fozzie bonding, music, and heart... well, by gum, you've got yourself a pretty darn perfect Muppet movie.

As Kermit said in The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson after the rest of the Muppets sang "Just One Person", "You guys were great! But, uh, do you have something silly to end with?" So, Disney, no matter how cheap your Muppet movie may be, make it silly! Toss a penguin, scare a chicken, throw a pie--just make it silly. It's what Jim would want!

I hope you've enjoyed The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Muppet Movies. If you're from Disney, then I really hope you enjoyed them--because you're the ones who need to apply them to the next film. I have no doubt in my mind that you will. You've been doing right by us Muppet fans so far! Keep up the great work, Muppet Studios! And don't forget Lew Zealand!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

BREAKING NEWS from The Disney23 Expo!

(NOTE: I swear, Sesame Street Saturdays will return to its regular time NEXT Saturday. This news is just too big not to report!)

BREAKING MUPPET NEWS!

Yesterday started out as another slow news day in the Muppetverse--everyone patiently (/impatiently) waiting for Sunday's big "Special Muppet Presentation" at the Disney23 Expo in Anaheim, California. Friend of the blog, Muppet writer Jim Lewis had implied (in the latest answer in "The Brand New Ask Jim Lewis Thread" on Muppet Central Forum) that the Muppets would physically be at the expo. Fans assumed this meant that they would be part of the panel on Sunday.

Boy, were we wrong.

As news slowly started to trickle in from Disney fan Twitter feeds--news of new Disney Park exclusive Muppet merchandise, such as the already-announced Muppet series of the extremely popular Vinylmation series of vinyl figures, along with a Muppet*Vision 3D inspired Rizzo Dressed as Mickey Mouse figure, and new plush "Pook-A-Looz" featuring plush of Kermit, Animal, and (a source tells me) Gonzo.

Of course the highlight of the Muppet merchandise scene featured at D23 was the showcase of the brand new Muppet photo puppet replicas made by eFX Collectibles. They showed off their prototypes for their Reporter Kermit and Rizzo the Rat replicas. Future replica plans include Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Pepe the King Prawn.

But a few scraps of merchandise doesn't really designate "breaking news," now does it? So what was this big, exciting news that's being buzzed about? What happened to cause me to pre-empt Sesame Street Saturdays again? Well... there's actually only one word I need to explain myself. That word?

Riverboat.

That's right, the Muppets made their arrival yesterday and spared NO expense and pulled out ALL of the stops! Over twenty Muppet characters appeared in full form (including Sweetums, Robin, Scooter, Lew Zealand, and the entire Electric Mayhem) where they sang, danced, and (the general consensus agreed) made people happy!

The Muppets didn't appear in their own, specially designated time-slot, however. They rolled out during Disney Chairman Dick Cook's presentation on upcoming Disney movies (including the John Travolta and Robin Williams movie Old Dogs, Pirates of the Caribbean 4, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, and more). But why, you ask (as well you should), did the Muppets appear during a presentation about new Disney movies? ...Unless? Yeah. That.

Disney Chairman Dick Cook officially announced the NEW theatrical Muppet movie: "The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made" written by Jason Segel.

The Muppets are now officially green-lit for their first theatrical outing in over a decade--and they were given the official treatment by none other than Disney big-wig Dick Cook!

But... what the heck were they doing on a river boat? Well... from all reports I've heard, that was Pepe's doing. Reports have said that Dick Cook called offstage to Fozzie, Gonzo, and Pepe asking them to come on out, but they were reluctant to. The three of them soon appeared onscreen above Mr. Cook. Apparently, they couldn't find Kermit and Dick asks if the show can still go on. Pepe replies, "Of course!" (of course) and Fozzie and Gonzo proceed to argue about how they have no plan of what to do without Kermit.

I'm a little fuzzy on the details, but at one point while Fozzie, Gonzo, and Pepe are arguing behind the curtain, Scooter (yes, Scooter) tells them something along the lines of "The show must go on!" and convinces them to pull the riverboat out saying, "Isn't show business great? All aboard!!" and the curtains open, revealing Pepe, Fozzie, and Gonzo on the front half Mark Twain riverboat (straight from Disneyland). Pepe shouts, "Let's get this party started, hokay!" and sings his own version of "Prince Ali" from the Disney classic Aladdin.

After Pepe's song, the rest of the boat appears, being pushed by Sweetums. The rest of the Muppets (Miss Piggy, Animal, Zoot, Beaker, Bunsen, Janice, Floyd, Scooter, Rizzo, Dr. Teeth, Lew Zealand, five chickens, Robin, and two penguins) are revealed.

Miss Piggy tells Pepe that she "has a better song" and starts to sing (sources haven't said which song it was she was singing) with Robin, the chickens, and the penguins on the bottom deck of the boat.

After Piggy's song, Gonzo said, "We NEED Kermit!" and some more arguing occurs before the sound of a banjo is heard. The Muppets quiet down as "Rainbow Connection" is played on the banjo and Kermit emerges on the top deck, singing. The Muppets cheer and sing along with the final verse.

The song ends, the crowd applauds, and the boat disappears off the side of the stage. Some sources have said that Statler and Waldorf then appeared to heckle the performance, asking for "Grumpy" (Dick Cook) to come back onstage. He does so, of course, and officially announces "The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made," complete with an onscreen graphic of a sheet of paper with the title hastily scribbled on it.

So that's all the news from yesterday--and it's arguably the BIGGEST Muppet news to come out of Disney in five years! It was truly an incredibly exciting day to be a Muppet fan--especially those Muppet fans in attendance at D23!

The Special Muppet Presentation occurs tomorrow at 1:00 PST, so I'll be sure to keep you updated on more of the HUGE news coming out of D23 this weekend!

For now, please enjoy the first video footage from the event. Muppets start around 2:30 and pick up again about 5:10!

Keep your sights set on The Muppet Mindset for more D23 Muppet news!