Disney has achieved a great deal of success over the past several years thanks to various subsidiaries such as Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar, as well as the Mouse House’s in-house live-action and animated productions. One Disney-owned property that hasn’t reached those same heights (even though it’s more than deserving) is The Muppets, though that isn’t for lack of trying. A revived film series ended after just two installments following the mixed reception to Muppets Most Wanted, and the mockumentary TV series The Muppets was cancelled after just one season. Looking to rebound from those results, Disney is trying its hand at Muppets projects again. A special revival of The Muppet Show is in the works for Disney+, and now fans have learned about a surprising new film.
During an appearance on the podcast Las Culturistas, Jennifer Lawrence revealed that she’s teaming up with fellow Oscar winner Emma Stone and screenwriter Cole Escola on a movie about Miss Piggy. “I don’t know if I can announce this, but I’m just going to – Emma Stone and I are producing a Miss Piggy movie and Cole is writing it,” Lawrence said (via The Wrap). She also teased it’s likely she and Stone will appear in the film. Plot details are currently being kept under wraps.
Jim Henson created The Muppet Show to prove he was more than just a children’s entertainer (breaking out of the shadow of Sesame Street), but The Muppets has always been a family friendly franchise that looks to appeal to people of all ages. With that track record in mind, it’s a bit surprising to see who Disney is recruiting to spearhead new Muppets projects. The studio seems to be targeting creatives that have a penchant for delivering older-skewing work. The Muppet Show revival is being co-produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s company Point Grey Pictures. Before signing on to write a Miss Piggy movie, Escola received accolades for their work on projects such as Oh, Mary! and At Home with Amy Sedaris (in addition to numerous acting roles).
It’s an interesting strategy, especially since 2015’s The Muppets received backlash for featuring humor some considered to be off-color. However, the franchise is in a place where it could use an injection of fresh blood and energy, so in that respect, Disney deserves some credit for thinking outside the box a bit. Also, it’s not as if these creatives are incapable of making something that’s a bit more family friendly. Rogen and Goldberg wrote and produced animated film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, for instance. And Disney still looks to be keeping the spirit of the franchise intact. The Muppet Show special is following the same formula as the original series, with Sabrina Carpenter serving as the human guest star.
Escola may actually prove to be a strong fit for The Muppets. They earned a Writers Guild of America Award nomination in the Comedy/Variety – Sketch Series category for At Home with Amy Sedaris, a series that was known for its surreal humor. The old Muppet Show certainly had its fair share of moments where it leaned into the surreal and absurd, meaning Escola should be working well within their wheelhouse on the Miss Piggy movie. It’s also encouraging to see Lawrence and Stone, two of this generation’s most successful actresses, be involved in such a meaningful capacity. Both have experience with comedy, so their sensibilities should also translate well to the Muppets sandbox.
It remains to be seen what Lawrence, Stone, and Escola have in mind for their film, but the project has a lot of potential. Miss Piggy is one of the most iconic characters in the entire franchise, boasting a larger-than-life personality that could definitely serve as the foundation for a full movie. It’ll be interesting to see what direction the story takes (perhaps it will be a biopic spoof chronicling Piggy’s life from humble beginnings to worldwide fame) and if any other Muppets appear. It would be odd if Kermit didn’t have a role, considering his long-standing relationship with Piggy. Hopefully, now that the film has been unveiled, more information is revealed soon.
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