Disney Enlists Segel & Stoller for new Muppets movie

Well, Jim Henson s one of my favorite directors of all time. His visuals are outstanding! Though, maybe Brian's a bit better with performers (something I think Jim admitted wasn't his strong point). Jim Henson's visuals with Frank Oz's abilities directing performers were a perfect combination for The Dark Crystal.

My top three picks would be Brian Henson, Frank Oz and Kirk Thatcher. Though I would also love to see what Bill Barretta would do with the film!

Frank Oz did say a few years ago (well, maybe more than a few, but since Muppets From Space) that he would like to direct the next Muppet movie. Maybe?

As some of you may or may not be aware of, Disney recently announced that they would no longer be involved with the Narnia film series. This gives me a few doubts about the progess of this film, it'd probably be more risky to make a new muppets movie than another Narnia movie, but then again a muppet movie would have a much lower budget. I guess we'll all have to wait for that greenlight.

Well, consider this...

The Narnia film series had extremely high budgets, and while the first one was a smash, the second was released during a horrible time, in the middle of the summer right after Iron Man and just before Indiana Jones.... and while Speed Racer didn't do all that well either, Narnia fell into the shuffle. Had they released it at Christmas, as an alternative to Twilight (not going into any religious things here or there) they would have no doubt done better with the second one. But then again, it would have to compete with Disney's 2 other films High School Musical 3 and Bolt (and for reasons I won't go into, Disney would have rather had them be big hits, more so the former)... Not to mention that between The Iron Man, Dark Knight, Indian Jones, Hulk, Kung Fu Panda, and the ever reliable Star Wars merchandise, Target, TRU, and even the Disney Stores are desperately trying to get rid of the Narnia toys (which weren't even that successful when the first movie was).

I think they will try to gamble with one Muppet Movie at least. I think they might have been happy with LTS's moderate ratings and the reviews have been alright (not as negative as OZ was, which was their stumbling block)... plus, while these 2 are still big names, Disney would be happy to accommodate them.

I have to agree with Tooth on this - one has little to do with the other. A Muppet film will not have near the cost of a Narnia film. The last picture cost $200 million dollars! A Muppet film usually costs well under $30 million. It's easier for Disney to gain a profit from the Muppets than Narnia and there are endless merchandising benefits with the Muppet gang that they own in full. Disney was right to nix Narnia. It's too much of a high-stakes gamble that failed to regain its budget domestically in the last outing. A Muppet film is sure to at least gain back its budget and more within months of its release.

Muppet movies haven't really ever made as much as a typical "blockbuster" would, but they're still successful films.

Just to give you an idea, compare these figures to the nearly 2 billion dollars made worldwide by 2008's most successful film, The Dark Knight:

1. The Muppet Movie (1979) - $65,200,000
2. The Dark Crystal (1982) - $40,577,001
3. Muppet Treasure Island (1996) - $34,327,391
4. The Great Muppet Caper (1981) - $31,206,251
5. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) - $27,281,507
6. The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) - $25,534,703
7. Muppets from Space (1999) - $16,625,807
8. Follow that Bird (1985) - $13,961,370
9. Labyrinth (1986) - $12,729,917
10. The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999) - $11,683,047

Successful, for the most part, but nowhere NEAR the figures that big-budget fantasy films of the last few years would make.

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Muppet/Henson_Films_by_Box_Office_Grosses

Who's with me in doing all we can to see this new Muppet movie exceed even The Muppet Movie0's box office gross?

I'd say yes to that (not counting inflation adjustments). Dare I say...but it the first Garfield film could make 75 million than so can the Muppets new adventure.

Before there movie even really gets off the ground they need at least a siries even if it is Studio DC Almost live.

Really? Have you heard something because that's not what I've gathered that they're doing. I just thought they'd build up to the movie with a series of specials, but not an actual television series. That, I felt, would come after a successful film.

No i was just going with what worked for them in the past. With first the Muppet Show and then the Muppet Movie. I think that no matter if they keep doing what there doing on the net, to just doing more speacles would be good. I think however if people just have small portians of the Muppets they wouldnt last through a whole movie. Ya know what I mean?

I think Tim Burton is too dark to be the director for the Muppets. He's a great director, but I don't know he'll be a perfect director for the Muppets. I think either Frank Oz or Kirk Thatcher.

I disagree, actually. I think a movie is needed to build up a new fanbase large enough to warrant another TV series. A movie is a guaranteed way to attract a large number of people to the Muppets--a TV show doesn't guarantee that. I think right now, the focus needs to be on spectacular specials throughout 2009(started with Letters to Santa) and then a feature film in 2010. Which seems to be the plan.

Besides... getting a new TV show off the ground this late in the game probably wouldn't work... By the time the movie rolled around, the show would barely be in its first season.

I just hope this new film will be better than Muppets From Space.

I agree. A movie is actually easier to release and market than a television series these days. It's this self-contained product that if correctly marketed and modestly budgeted can usually recoup its cost as a DVD if it doesn't make it at the box office. I'd like nothing better than a television series but the YouTube, muppets.com and MySpace approach costs Disney nothing while it reaps direct-marketing benefits. Also, we'll likely get another TV special before the theatrical film. Ooooh, I hope so.

Me too!

I love the route Disney is taking right now. They are getting alot of free publicity, put out LTS and are probably working on at least one more special before the major motion picture. And after the film we should be looking for a series. Lets hope it all works out that way. But honestly this is the first time I have been happy with what Disney is doing with the Muppets.

Since we were just talking Narnia and it's bad release date, when do you guys think Disney should release this movie? I'm pretty sure Disney doesn't want to release it during the January-April death season for movies or right around back to school time.

Looking over the movies being released in 2010, I personally think Disney shouldn't go with a summer slot for the Muppets. They'll be up against Iron Man 2, Shrek Goes Fourth and more importantly, Toy Story 3. I think Disney executives know Toy Story 3 is going to stand quite a bit of ground that summer with family audiences. Me personally, Disney should go for a holiday season slot. Thanksgiving weekend might be a good choice, kids will be home from school and the Muppets would benefit from parents wanting to take their kids to see something that'll keep them quiet for an hour and a half. Moreover, it'll have legs to carry it over to Christmas.

So, you Disney folks who may be reading this, I'd say look into a November 24, 2010 release date. That is all.

I would pick October. It's a season for scary movies or sleepers so it's usually void of many options. It provides a needed alternative and a month or so before anything else could steal its thunder.

Saw 6 or The Next Muppet Movie? The Lake House 2 or The Muppets to the Rescue? Oprah's Book Club Movie or The Muppets Strike Back? You get the drift. By the time October rolls around people are settled after the Summer season and are itching for something fun to bridge the time before the holiday season.

Tell me about it... As I said, had Narnia gone up against Twilight (once again, there is a specific religious purpose I'd hate to get into of why it would have worked), it probably would have gotten better BO receppts. But I will say, no one really expected that Iron Man would have done as well as it did, since Marvel's films have been hit or miss (mostly miss) outside of Spider-Man. And Iron Man isn't really all that mainstream (again, compared with Spider-Man who had multiple cartoon series, an appearance on The Electric Company, a Parade balloon, and a bizarre Japanese Power Rangers/Kamen Rider type series to name a few). One thing I think we can all agree on is that we had a hugely competitive summer... Even Warner Bros pushed over the next Harry Potter film because of Twilight, and the fact that 2009 is going to be a light year, no thanks to the strike a year ago....

And I would deduce that anytime outside of summer film season would be great...

My point exactly, despite the fact that people will always see a terrible horror film like Saw 67 no matter what. October and early November before the Christmas season hits is when people clamor for the "Smart" films... and while some of them are really good, none of them can really gain attention of casual movie goers that don't want something depressing or heavy handed. A perfect choice for a nice, jolly Muppet film, I concur.

I agree with October. It would be the first time a Muppet movie would be released at that time, but it seems like it would work well (except that I'm not looking forward to waiting until October of 2010).

The first three Muppet movies were all early summer releases, and it worked well for them. But Muppets From Space was also a summer release, and it didn't do so well. Possibly because 1999 was a big year for movies.

Muppet Treasure Island was the only Muppet movie so far to be released in February, and it did very well at that time. What problems do movies released early in the year face?

My vote would be either February or October.

For some reason people stay home from the cinema in January and February. The industry has changed and it's so easy for a film to open and close in less than a week.

Muppets From Space disappeared very quickly. I think it was largely considered a mess by those in charge and they wanted to dump it on home video ASAP were it could more easily cash in. It couldn't even recoup its budget worldwide - a first for a Muppet picture. So that's what I think happened. It made a pit stop in the theaters, but was anticipated to fail. MFS really plays better for home viewing.

Whenever Disney places this new movie we can rest assured that they want it to do well in the theaters as well as home video.

I wish we could forget about Muppets From Space. It was a terrible concept for a movie. It didnt hold true to the typical Muppet frame for a movie. Where were the songs? We need to forget about it. I know many are going to disagree but in my mind it cheapens the memories I have of the Muppets and I want to forget it.