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Exclusive: Halle Stanford, The Jim Henson Company’s longtime President of Television, is relaunching her company, 7 Crow Stories, as she embarks on a new chapter in her career as an independent producer and writer. As part of this new venture, the Emmy winner has signed a first-look producing deal with The Jim Henson Company, where she has worked as a producer and executive for the past 30 years.

Under her 7 Crow Stories banner, Stanford will develop a variety of live-action and animated projects for The Jim Henson Company for preschool, family, and primetime audiences, continuing to prioritize entertaining, impactful, and imaginative content across a wide range of genres. Previously announced projects include the primetime fantasy series Goblins with Norman Reedus, the primetime animated series Lore Olympus, based on Webtoon’s digital comic series, and the older kids’ animated series Adrenaline Lemmings. Currently, Stanford is also attached to develop a future production of Fraggle Rock.

In the 1990s, the Muppets began a trend that, sadly, was interrupted. In 1992, the troupe of puppets starred in "The Muppet Christmas Carol," which cast Muppet players as characters in Charles Dickens' immortal Christmas story. The Muppets followed that with the excellent "Muppet Treasure Island" in 1996, which took a similar tack; the Muppets were mere actors putting on their own modern production of a literary classic. This was a clever use of the Muppets, and there was every reason to believe they would continue with high-end literary adaptations.

Sadly, the trend ended in 1999 with the release of the lackluster "Muppets from Space," the troupe's last theatrical feature film for 12 years.

In the intervening span, though, there was one additional visit to the world of literature. In 2005, ABC aired the TV movie "The Muppets' Wizard of Oz," starring Ashanti as Dorothy Gale. Kermit the Frog played the Scarecrow, Gonzo played the Tin Woodman,...

When Jim Henson died in 1990, he had already negotiated a deal to sell his beloved Muppet characters to the Disney corporation, feeling that a big, brand-driven company could keep Muppet movies alive while he took a break to focus on more creative, strange, ambitious projects. Disney has since run hot and cold with the Muppets, making several notable hit films, but also multiple forgettable TV specials, and a few TV shows, two of which spectacularly bombed.

Making movies with the Muppets, Disney has learned, requires a gentle balance. Kermit the Frog is an innocent, honest character, devoid of cynicism, but the Muppets have always possessed an element of self-awareness. The original "The Muppet Show," after all, was half a variety program with singing/dancing Muppet performers, and half backstage drama with picky Muppet actors and overwhelmed Muppet stagehands. Most of the Muppet movies have addressed their status as a theater troupe,...

Treasure Island is being remade at Disney. Robert Louis Stevenson's beloved 1883 novel will be reimagined by an unexpected duo: Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, the filmmakers behind The Peanut Butter Falcon and the upcoming Los Frikis.

Nilson and Schwartz unveiled the Treasure Island reboot news during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter to promote Los Frikis, the duo's based on true events drama about the audacity and resilience of kindred souls facing the challenges of Special Period Cuba in the 1990s. "We’re working on Treasure Island for Disney. It’s an Australian surfer version of Treasure Island, and if they [Disney] ever make it, it would be so fun," said Schwartz. "It has the vibes that we do, and there’s found family, brotherhood, drama and outsider energy." Added Nilson, "It has the patina of the 1970s surf world. It's all there."

Related 'This Is What You Deserve': Keira...

Warning! This post contains Spoilers for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Star Wars: Skeleton Crew features an impressive number of Easter eggs and references to the greater galaxy far, far away. However, there's also a fun collection of meta references to classic pop culture pirates that help make Skeleton Crew show very unique. Whether it's connections to The Goonies, Pirates of the Caribbean, or legendary pirates from real-life history, there are some great nods all over the new Star Wars series.

As seen in Skeleton Crew, a group of young kids named Wim, Fern, Neel, and Kb find themselves inadvertently lost in the Star Wars galaxy with no easy way to make it back to At Attin, their mysterious homeworld with connections to a lost and mystical treasure. This prompts the attention of several pirates, one of whom is Jude Law's Jod Na Nawood who partners with the kids to help them get home.

Tim Curry's new horror movie, titled Stream, marks his big screen return after 14 years. The English actor rose to relevancy with his role as Dr. Frank-n-Furter in the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, reprising a role he originated in the musical stage production. Curry has appeared in many movies over the years, the last of which was Burke & Hare in 2010, before suffering a major stroke in 2012 and being confined to a wheelchair, and has since shifted mostly to voice acting.

Now, 14 years after his last feature film role, the seasoned actor is returning to the big screen. Per Variety, Curry is set to make a comeback portraying a character in the upcoming horror movie Stream, which releases in select theaters on August 21. In a statement, Stream director Michael Leavy said having the icon in his film was a dream come true, and a new poster was shared celebrating...

New films arriving to Hulu in the month of December include those that came out in 2024 like Cuckoo, The Inheritance, Storm Crashers, Summer Camp, Flycatcher and more. Christmas favorite Elf arrived on the streamer at the end of November ahead of the holiday season, and Miracle on 34th Street (1994) started streaming on Hulu Dec. 1. Ben Stiller’s new film Nutcrackers also provides a more modern Christmas story.

Beloved classic films coming to Hulu this moth include Cheaper By the Dozen and Cheaper By the Dozen 2, Cast Away and all four Twilight films among others. Ridley Scott’s first Gladiator film will be available to stream starting Dec. 2.

Find the full list of what’s new on Hulu this December 2024 below:

Dec 1

Bunk’d Complete Seasons 1-7 (Disney) Ace of Cakes Season 9 Alaskan Bush People: Seasons 8-11 Bahamas Life: Complete Season 5 Buddy vs. Duff: Complete Season 4 Caribbean Life: Complete...

Quick Links The Muppets Bring Their Classic Silliness to Oz Debunking a Common Muppet Misconception Quentin Tarantino Makes an Unhinged Cameo

The Wizard of Oz has seen many iterations on the big screen, ranging from Oz the Great and Powerful to the recent movie musical Wicked. Each one has brought its own unique spin to the timeless story. One strange version was made by one of the biggest names in show business, the comedy puppet group known as The Muppets.

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz was the last of The Muppets' famous movie adaptations of classic novels. The film was made for TV and released on the ABC network in 2005. The Muppets' Wizard of Oz is filled with many wild changes to The Wizard of Oz story, some funny and some strange, such as the cameo from intense director Quentin Tarantino.

The Muppets Bring Their Classic Silliness to Oz

In The Muppets' Wizard of Oz,...

The return of Moana to the big screen in Moana 2 turns out to be a pretty flat party. Here’s our review of the film.

Some backstory. Back when Pixar was embarking on its third film, Toy Story 2, the plan at that stage was to release it as a straight to video movie. However, it became clear during the making of the movie that it was a little bit special, and deserved an upgrade. For my money, the best of the series.

In the case of Moana, the 2016 film was arguably – and I’ll hear pushback from Encanto fans, even if I don’t agree – the last flat-out great movie from Walt Disney Animation Studios. There’s been good stuff since, but nothing on that level.

A year ago though, to us on the outside, as far as we knew Disney was working on a Moana streaming TV series.

Last month saw streaming platforms settle into their annual cozy season with new fall TV shows and autumn film favorites. This December, Hulu and Disney+ are hunkering down with premieres for several animated TV series, a solid selection of holiday fare, and feel-good movies both old and new.

Disney+ will bring its classic characters together for “Mickey and the Very Many Christmases” as well as “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade.” It will also premiere “The Simpsons Christmas Double Episode,” “Doctor Who: Joy to the World,” and “CMA Country Christmas” to honor the season. Top non-holiday picks include the return of “Marvel Animation’s What If…?” (kicking off December 22 with new episodes premiering daily for eight days), “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew,” and “Elton John: Never Too Late.”

Over at Hulu, the divisive new horror flick “Cuckoo” starring Hunter Schafer is set to stream alongside a robust catalogue of various other movies.

Rising star Rachel Zegler has her pick of work, from starring in Disney’s live action adaptation of “Snow White” to making her Broadway debut in “Romeo + Juliet,” but she’s ready to work with some non-human talent for a change. As part of Variety’s New York Issue, Zegler spoke with the publication about her career and the roles she hopes to take on, including being the main player in a Muppet movie.

“Michael Caine did it for ‘Christmas Carol,’” she said. “Tim Curry did it for ‘Muppet Treasure Island.’ I want to be the one!”

Other talent have taken up this mantle in recent history as well, with Ashanti playing Dorothy in 2005’s “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz” and Jason Segel and Amy Adams starring in 2011’s “The Muppets.” Its most recent entry was a Halloween special in 2021 called “Muppets Haunted Mansion,” a tie-in with the famous Disney ride.

Since it first hit theaters in 1975, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" has been a spooky season mainstay and a staple for late-night moviegoers. Based on the stage musical of the same name — which came out two years prior — the cult classic introduces a young couple, Janet Weiss and Brad Majors (Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick), whose car breaks down near a mysterious mansion; when they call on the house to ask for help, they're met by a fascinating cast of characters, to say the absolute least.

"The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is referred to as a "cult classic" for a reason; as Roger Ebert once put it, "it was ignored by pretty much everyone" when it originally came out. These days, pretty much every major city offers midnight viewings of the movie, inviting audiences to dress up, throw things at the screen, and participate while the movie screens. So what...

Quick Links Disneys Treasure Planet Is Based on Robert Louis Stevensons Novel Treasure Island Disneys Treasure Planet Is the Third Retelling of Treasure Island in Outer Space Disneys Treasure Planet Is Not Being Considered for a Live-Action Adaptation

Disney's Treasure Planet premiered in 2002 when the success of Walt Disney Animation was waning. Even with its star-studded cast, the movie failed to make back its 140 million dollar budget at the box office. Its poor performance certainly isn't due to any lack of creativity on the filmmaker's part. The movie is a beautiful ode to the final days of hand-drawn animation, combining computer-generated elements seamlessly. However, it may have been too high-concept for Disney audiences at the time of its release.

Although Treasure Planet had been pitched at the same time as The Little Mermaid to Disney by director Ron Clements back in the 1980s, the concept was not developed further until the late 1990s/early 2000s.

Legendary actor Tim Curry is heading back to the big screen with his role in an upcoming horror film. The news has previous co-star of the Rocky Horror Picture Show icon hoping for a third collaboration.

In the 1990s, Bubba Ho-Tep star Bruce Campbell appeared in Congo and McHale's Navy, two films which also starred Curry. After the announcement that Curry was coming back to film with his role in the horror movie Stream, Campbell took to X (formerly Twitter) to react to the news. Hopeful that this might mean that a third movie together could happen next, the Ash vs. Evil Dead star said, "Great news! I worked with Tim on two American classics, Congo and McHales Navy - lets go for three!"

Great news! I worked with Tim on two American classics, Congo and McHales Navy - lets go for three! https://t.co/cpmABdR5zc Bruce Campbell...

According to a new article in The Wrap, Walt Disney Imagineering, the engineering team behind the company's theme parks, is currently considering tearing down the Muppet*Vision 3D attraction at Walt Disney World. For those unfamiliar, Muppet*Vision 3D is a theatrical 3D experience that initially debuted at the Disney-mgm Studios (now known as Disney's Hollywood Studios) in Florida. The show falls in line with other "4-d" experiences commonly found at theme parks wherein a 3D short is presented alongside live-action animatronics, smoke effects, bubbles, shaking theater seats, and other in-room "ride" elements. In Muppet*Vision, Kermit the Frog introduces the show, and audiences witness the Muppets gearing up for a big performance. A rogue computer program called Waldo, however, sabotages the night, and wacky destruction ensues. The entire show runs 15 minutes. 

Muppet*Vision 3D first opened in May 1991, and was famously the final Muppets-related project worked on by Muppets...

In George Lucas' 1977 sci-fi flick "Star Wars," there is a scene wherein a cadre of Nazi-like bad guys, in the employ of the evil Empire, gather around a boardroom table and mention that the mysterious off-screen Emperor has dissolved the senate and taken absolute control. The military generals are outraged, wondering how the Empire might survive without a bureaucracy in place. In Irvin Kirshner's 1980 sequel "The Empire Strikes Back," it's established that Darth Vader (David Prowse), a mysterious masked warlock, was actually the Emperor's right-hand man, indicating that the Emperor retains control of the Empire through the sheer force of his villainy.

In "The Empire Strikes Back," the Emperor appeared in holographic form to have a powwow with Darth Vader and plan his next move. In the original cut of the movie, the Emperor was played on screen by actress Marjorie Eaton, outfitted with eerie, alien eyeballs. Eaton was a long-working character performer in Hollywood,...

The Muppets have been churning out movies and TV shows for over 50 years. In fact, these puppets have done almost everything imaginable. They've taken on New York City, gone to space, and even had their own single-camera sitcom a la The Office. But a few Muppet projects stand out from the rest: their adaptations.

In the '90s and early 2000s, the Muppets adapted three classic pieces of literature. There was 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol, 1996's Muppet Treasure Island, and 2005's The Muppets' Wizard of Oz. All of these adaptations were based on the original novels and Muppet-fied to be family-friendly adventures. So, what other classic books would make great Muppet movies?

Updated January 19, 2024 by Robert Vaux: The Muppets have no end of literary targets to take on, but they tend to do better with more serious works that they can properly parody. The article has been updated to correspond with current Cbr guidelines.

The Muppets have been around for over forty years and still live on despite the death of Jim Henson in 1990. They have conquered television, film, and even the internet. But what’s next for the intrepid felt-faced creations? Some of The Muppets' most significant projects have involved parodying existing public-domain works of classic literature. These included Treasure Island and A Christmas Carol. These two films are considered beloved favorites that have often eclipsed the original content.

There have been a few failed reboots of The Muppet Show. Both Muppets Tonight! and an online version meant to be more social media-centric fared poorly. Jason Segel’s The Muppets gave the franchise a nice boost, but Muppets Most Wanted fizzled, and the most recent Muppet endeavor on Disney+, Muppets Mayhem, only made it one season before being canceled.

With all these ups and downs, whether The Muppets are still a valuable property is up for debate.

This 2023 marked the 20th anniversary of the masterpiece that is, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, the swashbuckling adventure based on one of Disney World's most popular attractions, Pirates of the Caribbean. Hollywood is no stranger to adapting various mediums into big blockbuster films, but one based on a theme park ride was uncharted territory, especially for the biggest entertainment corporation in the world.

A gamble for Disney would pay dividends in the end, as The Curse of the Black Pearl would go on to gross more than $650 million in the US alone and jumpstart one of the most profitable movie franchises in recent history. The first film would spawn four sequels, cumulatively earning over $4.5 billion in worldwide box-office. It was not just financial success that followed the movies, but fan and critical acclaim as well, most notably for the original three films.

While each Pirates...

The best Haunted Mansion movie adaptation is an under-the-radar Disney+ special which received a fresh 73% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Unlike the previous adaptations, this version balances humor and heart, unlike the other feature-length movies that struggle with an inflated budget and fail to enrich the source material.

Perhaps surprisingly, Disney's best Haunted Mansion movie came out before 2023's $150 million box office disaster. The definitive adaptation of Disney's popular theme park attraction isn’t 2003’s horror-comedy The Haunted Mansion either. In fact, the best movie version of the much-loved property had a dead-silent, straight-to-streaming launch on Disney+ just two years ago. While the recent Haunted Mansion has a disappointing 38% aggregate critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, the Eddie Murphy-led The Haunted Mansion holds an even more upsetting rating: a dismal 13%. Ultimately, neither film elevates its source material, nor do their shoehorned narratives stand out on their own merits.

However, reviews aren...

As the Five Nights at Freddy's film creeps into theaters and delivers the long-awaited adaptation, it comes with a realization that another horror game was more deserving of the Hollywood treatment. With video game adaptations venturing back into the realm of horror, exploring titles like BioShock, The Last of Us and even Markiplier's Iron Lung movie, it's clear that there are ample opportunities for beloved horror franchises to transition from gaming consoles to the silver screen. However, as audiences pitch the movies they want to see, one peculiar title stands out for consideration: My Friendly Neighborhood.

Cut from a similar cloth as titles like Five Nights at Freddy's, Poppy Playtime and Amanda the Adventurer, My Friendly Neighborhood saw release in 2023 by video game publishers DreadXP. Riding a rising wave of mascot horror, My Friendly Neighborhood follows a repairman named Gordon as he ventures into the forgotten studios of a...

Post-credits scenes have become a burden and are hurting movies, expanding beyond superhero films and spreading to other types of films. Including after-credits sequences feeds into Hollywood's efforts to turn every movie into its own franchise, impacting the quality of films being made. Post-credits scenes point to a larger issue in Hollywood, where everything is turned into a series or rebooted, and they are more about marketing sequels and spinoffs than enhancing the movie-going experience.

The post-credits scene trend is actively hurting movies, especially as the unspoken after-scrawl requirement expands to non-superhero fare. What started out as a fun surprise for viewers who sat through the credits has become something of a burden. In recent years, plenty of Marvel Cinematic Universe after-credits teases haven't even paid off. Even so, audiences linger in anticipation. Although the MCU and other superhero films have trained viewers to stay in their seats, the trend...

Pirate movies offer a thrilling mix of adventure, danger, and romance, making them perfect entertainment for audiences of all ages. From classic silent films to modern blockbusters, pirate movies have a wide range of stories and styles to offer, with some even focusing on children's adventures. The best pirate movies combine unique stories, impressive fight scenes, and stirring performances to create an immersive and enjoyable experience for viewers and critics alike.

There is a big difference between classic and modern pirate movies, but the best pirate movies are all grand adventures. The life of a pirate is a life of freedom, danger, and debauchery that make for perfect entertainment. Pirate films are fun and exciting adventure movies that provide a little bit of everything. There are usually great fight scenes, ship battles, and even some romance. Audiences can have a great time with these movies, and most critics can't deny...

It doesn’t get much more iconic than Tim Curry. A staple in feature films since his breakthrough from stage to screen in 1975’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Curry has since gone on to give us nightmares as Pennywise the Clown in It, sing-alongs in Annie, adventures filled with pillage and plunder in Muppet Treasure Island, and meme-able moments in the Halloween classic, The Worst Witch. But it was in 1985 in which he appeared alongside an all-star cast in Clue, Jonathan Lynn’s feature-length adaptation of the board game of the same name, a timeless classic with a sea of quotable lines and memorable moments.

It’s always difficult for parents to find entertainment that bridges the gap between kid-friendly and not making you want to bore a hole in your skull with a giant-nailed Drilldo (look it up). In the past few decades, kiddie cartoon purveyors like DreamWorks and Illumination have attempted to bridge the gap by serving up cuddly characters spewing pop culture reference-laden dialogue, penned by Wesleyan grads with a minor coke problem. But the result invariably comes off as slick and cynical: the kids feel bored, the adults pandered to, the...

The Muppets are some of the few TV characters and intellectual properties (IP) to transcend their TV show and become more famous for their movies. After the success of their first three movies, The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, and The Muppets Take Manhattan between 1979 and 1984, the Jim Henson characters transitioned to Muppet-themed adaptations of classic stories. These movies include their retellings of classic stories, such as A Muppet Christmas Carol starring Michael Caine, Muppet Treasure Island starring Tim Curry, and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz. Naturally, IP that is old enough becomes public domain, meaning there is an abundance of stories The Muppets can adapt without issue, but now with Disney owning not only the Jim Henson characters but also an abundance of acquisitions from Fox, Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm, here are 10 adaptations the Muppets could theoretically remake under Disney's banner...

When Muppets creator Jim Henson died in 1990, the future of the Muppets franchise felt up in the air to its fans. At the time, Disney had already been in negotiations to purchase the Muppets, but Henson was on record with his refusal. Disney, still with a foot in the door, co-financed two Muppet feature films in the 1990s -- "The Muppet Christmas Carol" and "Muppet Treasure Island," both directed by Henson's son Brian -- which proved to audiences that the Muppets were capable of living on. Indeed, the two films provided a fascinating new premise for the Muppets: they would be stock players in adaptations of classic literature. Sadly, this tack did not play itself out, and after the not-very-good, straight-to-video "The Muppets' Wizard of Oz," that angle was abandoned. 

Come now, Disney, "Muppet Midsummer Night's Dream," "Muppet Dracula," and "Muppet Moby-Dick" await. 

"The Muppet Christmas Carol" (1992) is both one...

Director Kirk Thatcher has worked with the Muppets for decades and, in all that time, he’d been hoping to help orchestrate a Halloween special. Following the success of last year’s short-form Disney+ series “Muppets Now,” Thatcher is getting his wish with the new “Muppets Haunted Mansion.” The 40-minute special sees the Great Gonzo, along with his friend Pepe the Prawn, visit the titular Haunted Mansion in the hopes of spending the night. Little does the pair know about the 999 happy haunts that live there — and those haunts’ desire to make Gonzo No. 1,000.

“There are three things that affected me growing up: Ray Harryhausen movies, Disneyland — particularly the Haunted Mansion, the Tiki Room, and Pirates of the Caribbean — and obviously the Muppets,” Thatcher, who’s worked with the Muppets for 35 years, told IndieWire. Unofficially, you could also include Halloween. Thatcher said he remembers being a small child humming the...

Beloved actor Tim Curry has just turned 75, and thousands of fans are celebrating the screen legend's birthday online. As such a versatile actor with many memorable roles, there's any number of places where fans of Curry might recognize him from the most. From The Rocky Horror Picture Show to Stephen King's It miniseries, Curry has established himself as one of the planet's most favorite actors, and the incoming birthday wishes are already numbering in the thousands.

"Celebrating Tim Curry's 75th birthday today like..." one fan tweets, adding a Gif of Dr. Frank-n-Furter putting on a party hat. Another The Rocky Horror Picture Show fan exclaimed, "Happy birthday to Tim Curry, love of my life and shining star of my heart."

Someone else posted: "A very Happy 75th Birthday to the legendary Tim Curry, a man who could do it all: act, sing, dance, the whole shebang! From Frankenfurter to Pennywise,...

When Muppet Treasure Island was first released in February 1996, there was no telling how popular the film would become in the world of Muppet movie canon. As one of the only literary adaptations The Muppets have produced in their lengthy film history, the Muppet-led adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic is one that has absolutely stood the test of time in terms of humor, casting, and perhaps above all else, music.

Related: 10 Other Christmas Stories The Muppets Could Adapt For Disney+

The Muppets are almost always at their best whenever music is involved, as the beloved puppet performers never fail to go all out whenever a performance calls for it. In the case of Muppet Treasure Island, with its varying set pieces, hundreds of Muppet characters, and full commitment to the pirate aesthetic, the music is perhaps better than it ever has been.

The Morning Watch is a recurring feature that highlights a handful of noteworthy videos from around the web. They could be video essays, fanmade productions, featurettes, short films, hilarious sketches, or just anything that has to do with our favorite movies and TV shows. In this edition, watch Matilda superfan Daisy Ridley have her socks […]

The post The Morning Watch: Daisy Ridley Geeks Out Over ‘Matilda’, Celebrating 25 Years of ‘Muppet Treasure Island’ & More appeared first on /Film.

“The Muppet Show” made its much-anticipated debut on Disney+ on Friday, but not with all of the 120 episodes from Jim Henson’s iconic variety series.

Currently, Disney+ features 118 of those episodes, with two episodes from Season 5 omitted. That’s a particular shame since Seasons 4 and 5 of “The Muppet Show” have never been made available for home entertainment. The episodes in question were the ones that guest-starred Brooke Shields and British comedian Chris Langham. Additionally, one Season 2 episode that features Don Knotts is edited down (one Reddit user tracked all of the changes here).

According to a Disney+ spokesperson, it came down primarily to music rights issues.

As for the Langham one, that’s a bit trickier. In 2007, the comic (who replaced Richard Pryor as the guest at the last minute) was found guilty of possessing child pornography and served a six-month prison sentence. Disney declined to comment on that part.

Get ready to play the music and light the lights because “The Muppet Show” will begin streaming on Disney+ in exactly 31 nights, the streaming service said Tuesday.

All five seasons of Jim Henson’s iconic variety will launch Friday, Feb. 19 on Disney+, marking the first time that Seasons 4 and 5 have been released for home entertainment.

“The Muppet Show” stars Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, the Swedish Chef, and more in “a groundbreaking twist on the classic variety show, blending original songs, sketch comedy, and guest stars into a prime-time hit for all ages,” per its official description.

Originating as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC, but ultimately passed on by that broadcaster and other U.S. networks, “The Muppet Show” aired on U.K. channel Atv and other ITV franchises and in first-run syndication through CBS in the U.S. from 1976 to 1981.

During “The Muppet Show’s” five-season run,...

Despite competition from the likes of Prime and Hulu, Netflix met arguably its biggest match yet last November when Disney Plus launched. The Mouse House has been coming for the streaming giant’s crown ever since, amassing more and more content over time. This September 1st, though, Netflix managed to get one up on D+ by snatching away two popular movies that were previously available on the rival service.

The two films are 2011’s The Muppets and 2014’s Muppets Most Wanted, the last two theatrical outings for Jim Henson’s beloved puppet troupe. The duology have been up to stream on Disney Plus for months, but as of this Tuesday, they’re now to be found on Netflix. It’s not unusual for movies to flit between the different streaming services, of course, but so far, D+’s methodology has been to collate as many of Disney’s productions as...

For over six decades, Jim Henson's beloved characters The Muppets have been entertaining fans of all ages all over the world. Whether fans prefer the original The Muppet Show, the classic movies like The Muppet Movie and The Muppets Take Manhattan, the 1990s renaissance with works like Muppet Treasure Island and The Muppet Christmas Carol, or recent ventures like 2011's The Muppets and the 2015 ABC series The Muppets, it's clear that these puppets have staying power. Their new Disney+ series Muppets Now only further exemplifies that.

Related: Every Muppet Movie (Ranked By Metacritic)

It's also clear that opinions on favorite Muppets are endlessly varied, given the hundreds upon hundreds of characters that have been introduced into the franchise. But when it comes to the Muppet relationships, both platonic and romantic, there are some that clearly stand well above the others, and some that don't quite measure up.

The Muppets are back with their first-ever unscripted series, Muppets Now, premiering July 31st on the Disney Plus streaming platform. On Wednesday, Disney released an all-new teaser for the show, starring Kermit, Miss Piggy and the gang on a video conference call to discuss the new series.

Muppets Now will feature the beloved Jim Henson characters acting out improv sketches and other unscripted scenarios for the first time in the franchise’s history. Each episode — or “Muppisode,” as the new character Joe the Legal Weasel calls it — will focus on...

On Wednesday, Disney Plus released the first trailer for Muppets Now, the Muppets’ first-ever unscripted series, premiering July 31st.

The wacky six-episode show stars Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and the rest of the gang performing improv and sketch comedy with a variety of celebrity guests. (In the trailer, Kermit is forbidden from saying who the celebrity guests are, following the advice of Joe the Legal Weasel, but we get a glimpse at Seth Rogan, Aubrey Plaza and RuPaul.) The series arc is tied together with Scooter rushing to make...

Mark Harrison May 23, 2019

2002's Treasure Planet was a passion project for Aladdin directors John Musker and Ron Clements.

Writer-directors John Musker and Ron Clements have a hell of a track record at Disney. As key figures in the studio’s animation renaissance in the 1990s, they brought The Little Mermaid, Aladdin (the original one), and Hercules to the screen before the House of Mouse finally gave them a crack at their pet project – Treasure Planet, an outer-space adaptation of the classic Robert Louis Stevenson novel Treasure Island.

Featuring the voice talents of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, David Hyde Pierce, and Emma Thompson, the 2002 film reimagines Jim Hawkins as the tearaway teenage son of a single mother who obtains a digital treasure map from dying pirate Billy Bones. Fascinated by stories of the fabled Treasure Planet since childhood, Jim jumps at the chance to leave his backwater homeworld and join an outer-space voyage...

The Hustle is getting in on the Avengers: Endgame hype with a second trailer for the comedy. The Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel is arguably the most-anticipated movie of the year, so it is a wise decision to get in on the fun since the superhero adventure comes out this week. Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson are deemed the "Revengers" in the latest trailer, which pops up on the screen and turns to dust, parodying Thanos' Decimation. The trailer even takes some of the black and white color scheme from the Marvel movie trailers.

As far as new scenes, this The Hustle trailer is largely made up of footage we've seen previously with the added Avengers: Endgame stuff. However, it is effective and it could end up brining more attention to the comedy, which is always a good thing for the box office receipts. Wilson and Hathaway are already out promoting the movie,...

Rebel Wilson fought the MPAA for The Hustle's PG-13 rating. The upcoming comedy is another take on 1988's Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which was a remake of the 1964 comedy Bedtime Story. In the original movies, two male scam artists are trying to manipulate rich women out of their money. The Hustle takes the same premise and flips it, making Wilson and co-star Anne Hathaway the scam artists as they go after the money of rich men. So far, the trailer has been getting positive responses from moviegoers.

After going through the ratings process, the MPAA gave The Hustle an R-rating. However, Rebel Wilson did not believe the comedy deserved the rating, which she called "rude" in a recent interview. Since she was a producer on the movie and had so much invested in it, she decided to go into the arbitration hearing and fight for a PG-13 rating. Wilson has...

Brian Henson is a man that probably helped shape a whole lot of childhoods. Taking up after his father, the late and legendary Jim Henson, the man responsible for creating The Muppets, the younger Henson directed movies like Muppet Treasure Island and The Muppet Christmas Carol. Now, he's decided to take some of his puppets, not Muppets, mind you, and place them in an R-rated setting with The Happytime Murders. The result? While many people who go to the movies looking for artistic value will surely walk away snubbing their nose at the final product, I must admit, nasty and crass puppets make me smile. Plus, despite the movie's best efforts to bury itself alive in filthy jokes, there is actually some deeper and more meaningful stuff going on here.

In The Happytime Murders, a former puppet cop named Phil Phillips must team up with his old partner Edwards (Melissa McCarthy...

IndieWire owes our readers an apology. Last week, in a moment of desperate optimism and/or extreme naïveté, this critic declared “Mile 22” was “far and away the worst summer movie of 2018.” And while that statement was true at the time, it failed to account for the unfathomable awfulness that one of the season’s final studio offerings had in store.

I foolishly assumed an incoherent and jingoistic Mark Wahlberg vehicle that climaxes with someone telling him to “say hi to your mother for me” would be the most eye-punishing, soul-crushing, career-questioning thing I’d have to sit through until at least after Labor Day. And then, I saw “The Happytime Murders.”

An admirably debased but deeply unfunny Muppet noir that opens with a porn-addicted bunny getting his head blown off, it peaks with a Robert De Niro-inspired puppet ejaculating silly string all over his office, and presumably ends...

Yesterday we reported that Sesame Street filed a lawsuit against Stx Entertainment regarding their upcoming raunchy R-rated puppet film The Happytime Murders. Why? Because Sesame Workshop isn't happy with the movie using the following tagline in their marketing, "No Sesame, All Street."

The suit claims The Happytime Murders tarnishes the Sesame Street brand by using their name in the marketing. Now the creators of The Happytime Murders have responded to the lawsuit in kind of a mocking way. They sent a photo of a puppet lawyer named Fred, Esq. and they included the following response:

“Stx loved the idea of working closely with Brian Henson and the Jim Henson Company to tell the untold story of the active lives of Henson puppets when they’re not performing in front of children. ‘Happytime Murders’ is the happy result of that collaboration and we’re incredibly pleased with the early reaction to...

For those Adults who grew up watching The Muppets – be prepared to have your childhood memories ruined and be utterly scarred for life with the red band trailer for The Happytime Murders.

Directed by Brian Henson, the film stars Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale and Elizabeth Banks.

Also in trailers – Tessa Thompson and Lakeith Stanfield star in new red band trailer for Sorry to Bother You

The film is due to be released this summer.

The Happytime Murders Official Synopsis

The Happytime Murders is set in the underbelly of Los Angeles where puppets and humans coexist. Two clashing detectives, one human and one puppet, are forced to work together to try and solve who is brutally murdering the former cast of “The Happytime Gang,” a beloved classic puppet show.

The post The Muppets get x-rated in red band trailer for The Happytime Murders appeared first on HeyUGuys.

The Happytime Murders trailer is here. This thing is very much red band and totally Nsfw. More so than anything you're likely to see for a wide release movie. You've been warned. Shockingly, this comes from the mind of Brian Henson, son of Jim Henson, but this is not in any way what you might expect from a name like that. This trailer proudly boasts that the same guy who directed Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island and Muppets Tonight is responsible for this debauchery. And you're not ready for the debauchery in store.

This first footage for The Happytime Murders is in no way messing around. Puppets getting blown to pieces, puppet prostitutes, who happen to use the term "rotten cotton," which has disgusting but kind of hilarious implications. This thing is so very Nsfw that it's hard to believe it even got made. Let alone from the son...

The first very Nsfw red-band trailer for the R-rated puppet crime comedy, The Happytime Murders, has arrived. The movie comes from director Brian Henson, the son of the legendary Jim Henson. He has directed Muppet films such as A Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island, but The Happytime Murders is a very different kind of movie and one that you certainly will not want to take your kids to see!

One thing is for sure... I'll never look at silly string the same way again. Hell, I'll never look at Muppets the same way again! This movie is very dark and very vulgar, but it sure does look like fun!

The human characters in the story are played by Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale, and Elizabeth Banks, who you'll see as a stripper in the trailer. Here's the synopsis:

No Sesame. All Street. The Happytime Murders  is a...

Brian Henson — son of the late Muppets creator Jim Henson and director of The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island — is back behind the camera in a new puppet-centric film, The Happytime Murders.

Unlike Henson's previous endeavors, Happytime Murders certainly isn't kid-friendly — and the Nsfw debut trailer proves that.

Melissa McCarthy plays the lead detective in a world where humans and puppets coexist. When the puppet castmembers of a beloved puppet TV show, The Happytime Gang, begin turning up dead, she's forced to team up with a sex-crazed, alcoholic puppet.

Throughout the red-band trailer, McCarthy's ...

Brian Henson — son of the late Muppets creator Jim Henson and director of The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island — is back behind the camera in a new puppet-centric film, The Happytime Murders.

Unlike Henson's previous endeavors, Happytime Murders certainly isn't kid-friendly — and the Nsfw debut trailer proves that.

Melissa McCarthy plays the lead detective in a world where humans and puppets coexist. When the puppet castmembers of a beloved puppet TV show, The Happytime Gang, begin turning up dead, she's forced to team up with a sex-crazed, alcoholic puppet.

Throughout the red-band trailer, McCarthy's ...

“All my friends have worked with the Muppets. Everybody I know has done a thing with the Muppets and I always felt a little bit left out,” Michael Caine told Et in 1992 on the set of The Muppet Christmas Carol, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. “But they only did half-hour television shows and I got to do a two-hour movie, so it's great.”

While Caine donned the trademark robes and night cap to portray Ebenezer Scrooge, the reimagining of the Charles Dickens classic also featured Kermit as Bob Cratchit, Fozzie as Mr. Fozziewig (modified from Fezziwig), Miss Piggy as Mrs. Cratchit and Gonzo as Dickens, who hilariously narrates the story with Rizzo the Rat. Despite the recognizable names and faces, some voices of the characters would sound a little different to Muppet fans.

Two years prior, at the happiest place on Earth, no less, there was excitement for a new partnership and the creative...

Author: Competitions

To mark the release of Jack and the Beanstalk on 12th June, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on DVD.

Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story is directed by Jim Henson’s son Brian (The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island). Once upon a time, “Jack and the Beanstalk” was a fairy tale, but for Jonathan William Hapsburg Robinson (Jack, for short) it’s a part of history – a giant secret buried in the Robinson family closet for centuries. In order to undo the ancient family curse, Jack must return to a different place and time, to a fantastic world where fairy tales come true. Here a handful of beans really can produce magic, a goose really can lay a golden egg and a beanstalk does indeed reach into the heavens where an immortal giant lives, breathes and swears vengeance for all eternity.

Please note:...