 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2019) |
| It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Based on | The Muppets by Jim Henson |
| Written by | |
| Directed by | Kirk R. Thatcher |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Mark Watters |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | |
| Producers |
|
| Cinematography | Tony Westman |
| Editor | Gregg Featherman |
| Running time | 88 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | November 29, 2002 |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie is a 2002 American musical fantasy comedy television film directed by Kirk R. Thatcher and written by Tom Martin and Jim Lewis. The film premiered November 29, 2002 on NBC and is the first television film featuring the Muppets.
It stars Muppet performers Steve Whitmire, Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, and Eric Jacobson, as well as Dave Arquette, Joan Cusack, Matthew Lillard, William H. Macy, and Whoopi Goldberg. The plot centers on Kermit the Frog who, after losing all hope for saving the Muppet Theatre, is assisted by an angel who shows him a world in which he was never born. The film is a homage to Frank Capra's 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life, which has a similar plot.
This was the first Muppets production without the involvement of veteran performer Frank Oz. Instead, Eric Jacobson performed Oz's characters Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, and Animal, marking his feature film debut as those characters.
It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie is the final Muppets production before the characters and franchise were acquired by The Walt Disney Company from The Jim Henson Company. It is one of the few Muppets-related productions that are currently not owned by The Walt Disney Company, and along with Sam and Friends, is currently owned by NBCUniversal.
It will finally get a UK theatrical release in December 2024, with Altitude Film Distribution distributing the film in the U.K. while HanWay Films handle its international sales.