Which Film do you want to see get made?

[matleo]

OK so over the courseof the lats few years, we've heard various reports of various film scrpits "the Muppets have looked into doing.

1) "Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made"-- Gonzo writes a movie and blows the budget on the opening credits and the film spirls downhill after that. based on an idea by Juhl/Henson/Oz.

2) "Muppet Haunted Hotel"-- After being turned into spirits on Halloween, the Muppets must learn to use their new ghostly abilities to find a way back to the real world.

3) "The Muppet Movie II" aka "The Next Muppet Movie"-- The beloved Muppets have basically been broken up by an evil Hollywood producerand Kermit has to get them all back together and remind them what the spirit of the Muppets is. Written by Bryan Lynch

4) "Muppet in Time"--No info as of yet, but I would imagien it has soemhitng to with time travel and Muppets.

So my quesiton is which one do you want to see get made and what kind of stuff would you like to see done in it?

Me pesonally, I'm really excited about the idea of "the Next Muppet Movie". I read a review of the script overr at AICN which spoke highly of it's feel and content and mentioned names like floyd, Lew, Fozzie, Zoot and Rizzo in the context of prominent roles. As well as places for the Clifford, Pepe, bobo, etc. If made, I'd like ot see frank handle the directign duties as he is said he would like ot direct the next film and use it as a springboard to 'pass the torch to newer puppeteers' which I thnk this storyline wuold also accomplish. Ithink it would let the Muppeteers come full circle and allow those ready to retire the chance for one last huzzah both for them and their fans. What do the rest of you think?/
BTW: for thsoe who wan to see the review of this script, here's the link...
http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=3898

--Matt

 

[kansasteen14]

I would really like the next muppet movie and they all sound ok except Muppet Haunted House.

 

[Crazy Harry]

The plot for Haunted Hotel sounds WAY to cheasy for the Muppets. Maybe if it used a cast of all new characters I would resent it less.

 

[matleo]

I think it might work asa TV special kinda like the X-mas thing they'r doing now. I'd like to see Brian Henson direct cause he's good with setting the mood and toen and he's not afraid to let the Muppets do drama which is interesting. He's also seems ot have a fondness for effects shots. but if I really wnaetd ot see one, it would be the Next Muppet Movie. Does anyone have more info on this one, besides what's in that review?

--Matt

 

[matleo]

Just did a little more diggin and whil I have turned up no info on "Muppet Movie 2" which I thiknk is what I'm going to start referring to it as just to avoid confusion) I have turned up an author for the "Haunted Hotel" script. Apparently, Joey Mazzarino is the scribe behind this. So far Joey's other wirting credits include MFS, EIG, KSY, and of course, SS. so we have a Juhl/Henson/Oz idea, a Mazzarino script, and a script from Brian Lynch all in play. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that the "Time Travel' script comes from Kirk Thatcher. Can anyone in here with any 'inside sources' back that up?
--Matt

 

[beaker]

As much as I love Joey's characters...the idea for his movie sounds liek the wrong direction for the Muppets.

My vote would have to be for an idea we havent heard. I know they dont take soliticed ideas...but I think Im not alone in saying an idea for something truly epic, Juhl involved, Sesame and other property cameo involved, and creature shop involved would so rock these other ideas into oblivion.

 

[Gonzo]

I'm with you, Beak...the key is going to be in the writing of this, and Jerry Juhl has always been the best. Unfortunately, it seems like he's pretty much retired, at least from Muppet projects. It would be wonderful if Oz and Juhl could be brought back to work on a story like "The Next Muppet Movie;" It seems like it has the right kind of storyline to re-launch the Muppets...but I would wait for another few years at least (hopefully on the heels of a few successful seasons on TV) before attempting another big screen outing.

I wouldn't be opposed to a few holiday-themed made for tv movies, like the NBC Christmas one, in the meantime, and the Haunted Hotel seems fine as a Halloween themed one. My one concern about "The Next Muppet Movie" is that it's AWFULLY similar to both TMM and MTM...which makes for a great movie, but may be too formalaic for our good friends.

Quinnnnnnnnnn

 

[matleo]

OK, more digginh, more info.....

First off, Quinn, you seem to have hit the Muppephone right on the head. Any and all interviews I've found regarding these projects have said that they're waiting to do another series before launching another film and they will select the film based on the tone and feel of the new series.

An interview that our own Ken Plume penned a few years ago with Brian Henson at ignfilmforce, states Kirk Thatcher is the author behind the "Haunted Hotel" script. So we have two authors listed for that now.

If "Next Muppet Movie" gets made, I doubt Jerry Juhl will be involved as it is an already completed script. I've actually found an e-mail for Brian Lynch (a fellow Jerseyan) and asked him what the status of this film is. I'll let you know if he writes back.

In the meantime, I dug up an interview with him from 2000 where he talks about having been hired by Henson to write another script for them based on an idea by some of the 'higher ups'. "Cheapest Muppet Movie" perhaps? He didn't say as at that time he was only about 70 pages into writing it and not sure wat he was allowed to talk about. But I do think it's odd that for a long time "Cheap-o" was someting that was being talked up by Frank and Jerry and no one at JHC seemed interested, then this Lynch guy mentions working on another story developed by 'higher ups' @ JHC, and then Danny turns up a merchandising sheet that lists "Cheap-o" as being one of the next films they want to produce. interesting....Anyway, in the interview that I found, Lynch also talks about having met with JHC to discuss the next series and is hoping to do some writing for that as well. Time will tell.

--Matt

 

[Gonzo]

"Time will tell????"

I HATE time!!!

Time is my immortal enemy, and has been since the beginning. Patience is not a strong suit. Then again, neither is Spades, and they never complain. I shall just have to wait.

Quinnnnn

 

[matleo]

Originally posted by Gonzo
My one concern about "The Next Muppet Movie" is that it's AWFULLY similar to both TMM and MTM...which makes for a great movie, but may be too formalaic for our good friends.

Well, I think part of the idea is that it's kind of like a sequel in some ways to TMM. They're in Hollywood, they've established themselves and over time, Hollywood has kind of ruined them and what they are about. That thing, that love that first brought them together is what in the end breaks them up. In many ways I think this film is very prophetic. I mean it's not only a statement about what the Muppets have been recently facing, but on Hollywood and it's ability to just 'suck' people in and destroy them. That you can go in and tihnk you're there to be creative and artistic and make great films and 'make millions of people happy' but in the end, money is everywhere out there and that's what it comes down to. It's a moral story about can Kermit&co's dreams endure the pressures of a society where money talks. What's the breaking point for these characters? I mean the Muppets will NEVER find the deal they had with Lord Grade, it just wouldn't happen nowadays. he took a real chance on them. So what happens when you're faced with a producer (in this case the role of Mick, the bad guy) who could come off wanting to look out for them but is really out for his own personal gain.
Yeah it may a bit formulaic but I think if it's done right and it's done well it could really be a great movie.

--Matt