Frank Oz Interview with EW

[D'Snowth]

I might just be over-thinking this, but it is something I noticed about the movie.

That's what I was about to say.

 

[Drtooth]

The recent film kind of needed to be homogenized in order to distill and market the essence of the Muppets to the current marketplace. Previous projects held this presumption that the non-fan audience was already along for the ride. I hope the next film gets back to the much wilder aspects of the characters like the online short subjects did.

The characters here were a lot deeper than they were in the past 3 movies. Homogenized is alright by me, as long as they aren't just stuck with happy faces in a plastic environment.

Still, I've said before, if he had a problem with the script he was more than welcomed to give some input. That's the only thing that's disappointing.

I wonder what this big problem shooting is. I hope it doesn't darken the production of the next one.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Still, I've said before, if he had a problem with the script he was more than welcomed to give some input.

That's still an assumption; we weren't there. Studio politics don't always welcome the most obvious people.

 

[Drtooth]

That's still an assumption; we weren't there. Studio politics don't always welcome the most obvious people.

Frank is VERY busy with other projects, and while he does still pop up on Sesame Street from time to time, he has left the Muppet Show characters for other pursuits. I don't think the studio or writers intentionally left him out. After all, the writers did go to him first with their script.

I'm starting to think one of the problems was the new writing team having to deal with the recasts. Otherwise, I don't think they would have bothered to get in touch with Frank.

Still, you have to admit how graceful Frank Oz is here. He doesn't want to ruin the movie for the fans and he's happy it's been a success and keeps Jim's vision alive, if not quite in the details he remembers/created. He could have been a complete Alan Moore about the whole thing and completely dissed the audience for even acknowledging the movie.