Can I ask a rather dumb question? (Don’t respond. I can’t hear you.) Why have we not utilized The Muppets in the most obvious way possible? After every holiday season, I frequently ask this very question. When the proof of concept is staring the company (and the public) square in the face, why must we continue to ignore it. Folks, why aren’t we placing The Muppets in more famous stories?
Throughout November and December, fans and critics always like to highlight the wonders of The Muppet Christmas Carol. The 1992 film retells the classic story of Ebeneezer Scrooge thanks to a completely genuine performance from Michael Caine and the shenanigans of the Muppets. The tale was only a modest success back upon its initial release, but has grown into being not only a holiday mainstay, but arguably the most long lasting piece of Muppet media ever conceived.
Of course, this led to a few other literary adaptations with varying levels of success. (Muppet Treasure Island? A win! The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz? Let’s ignore it!) Yet, for some reason, this concept quickly vanished within Disney’s mind. The Muppets has always been a rather sore subject for the Mouse House, as ever since their acquisition of the character, they have yet to have a concrete idea that sticks.
While 2011’s film The Muppets and its sequel Muppets Most Wanted did moderately well, the latter wasn’t as successful as they’d hoped, halting any further film productions with the characters. Since then we’ve received their ABC mockumentary sitcom (a show that seems to be having a bit of a resurgence through Disney+ and its memes) and two failed streaming series. Again, why not go back to its most popular formula?
This does introduce the Hocus Pocus conundrum: a Disney film that has become essential holiday viewing only after 20+ years of a growing fandom. In the case of that instance, we received Hocus Pocus 2 (and remaining talks for a third). Why not dive back into the world of The Muppets for a moderately budgeted, literary adaptation?
Back in 2017, a (hopeful) series of books debuted entitled Muppets Meet the Classics. Writers took classic tales (copyright free!) and placed the Muppets into key roles, adding humor to these often darker tales. All in all, only two books were released: The Phantom of the Opera and Brothers’ Grimm Fairy Tales. Aren’t those a great jumping off point for a new feature film series?
Muppets Haunted Mansion was a rather stale push to add Muppets into key Disney IP, but there’s something to be said about placing The Muppets into classic Disney tales. As Disney is adamantly working to not rely solely on their live-action remakes, bringing The Muppets back to the big screen by reinvigorating known stories through unique and hilarious ways would be so welcomed by fans and moviegoers alike.
Truly imagine The Muppets’ Pinocchio (Miss Piggy as the Blue Fairy, of course) or The Muppets’ Cinderella, with a singular human character surrounded by Muppet tomfoolery. It’s a fabulous way to place The Muppets back in the limelight in a brand new, yet comfortable way. It truly seems like an obvious option…so why not start it now?
(P.S. Still revive the ABC series though, please and thanks.)