The Muppets (2011 film)

This article is about the 2011 film. For the original 1979 film, see The Muppet Movie. For other Muppets films, see List of The Muppets films.
The Muppets
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJames Bobin
Written by
Based onDisney's Muppet characters and properties
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDon Burgess
Edited byJames Thomas
Music byChristophe Beck
Production
companies
Distributed byWalt Disney Studios Motion Pictures[1]
Release dates
  • November 4, 2011 (2011-11-04) (Savannah Film Festival)
  • November 23, 2011 (2011-11-23) (United States)
Running time
103 minutes[3]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$45 million[4][5]
Box office$165.2 million[6]

The Muppets is a 2011 American musical comedy film directed by James Bobin, produced by David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman, and written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller. It is the seventh theatrical film featuring the Muppets.[7] The film stars Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, and Rashida Jones, as well as Muppet performers Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, David Rudman, Matt Vogel, and Peter Linz. Bret McKenzie served as music supervisor, writing four of the film's five original songs, while Christophe Beck composed the score.[8] In the film, devoted Muppet fan Walter, his human brother Gary and Gary's girlfriend Mary help Kermit the Frog reunite the disbanded Muppets, as they must raise $10 million to save the Muppet Theater from Tex Richman, a greedy businessman who plans to demolish the theater to drill for oil.

Walt Disney Pictures first announced the film in March 2008, with Segel and Stoller as the screenwriters and Hoberman and Lieberman's Mandeville Films as co-producer.[2] Conceived by Disney to serve as a creative reboot of the franchise after years of relative dormancy following their acquisition of the Muppets in 2004, Segel and Stoller intently addressed the characters' recent real-world lack of public exposure in mainstream culture within the context of the film's plot. Though reports indicated Stoller would direct the film, Bobin was ultimately hired to direct in January 2010, and the film's supporting cast was filled out in October of the same year with the casting of Adams, Cooper and Jones. Filming took place from September 2010 to February 2011. The film was the first theatrical Muppets production to not star Frank Oz and Jerry Nelson performing their respective characters, although Nelson contributes an uncredited voice cameo.[9][10] Instead, their roles are performed by Jacobson and Vogel, respectively, marking their theatrical feature film debut as those characters.

The Muppets premiered at the Savannah Film Festival on November 4, 2011, and was released theatrically in North America on November 23, by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.[11] The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $165 million worldwide on a budget of $45 million and garnering acclaim for its humor, music, and revitalization of the characters. The film won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for McKenzie's song "Man or Muppet", as well as earning BAFTA and Critic's Choice Awards nominations. A sequel, titled Muppets Most Wanted, was released on March 21, 2014.[12]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Var was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference THRMuppets was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "The Muppets". British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). February 10, 2012. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  4. ^ Cieply, Michael (April 9, 2011). "It's Time for Your Face-Lift, Miss Piggy". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 17, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  5. ^ Masters, Kim (October 20, 2011). "Kermit as Mogul, Farting Fozzie Bear: How Disney's Muppets Movie Has Purists Rattled". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 21, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  6. ^ "The Muppets". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  7. ^ Blum, Matt (May 20, 2011). "The Muppets Are Coming – Yaaaaay!". Wired. Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
  8. ^ Gallo, Phil (10 October 2011). "'Muppets' Movie Soundtrack Features Feist, Flight of the Conchords, Andrew Bird". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 20, 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  9. ^ Buchanan, Kyle (20 October 2011). "Frank Oz Isn't Thrilled With the New Muppets Movie". Vulture. Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  10. ^ "Capone With Frank Oz About DEATH AT A FUNERAL, What Went Wrong On STEPFORD, And (Of Course) Yoda!!". aintitcool.com. August 7, 2007. Archived from the original on October 28, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Deadline was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Fritz, Ben (January 14, 2013). "Disney cancels 'Little Mermaid 3-D,' dates 'Pirates 5' for 2015". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2013.