The Muppets

2012 Oscar Nominations Announced; HUGO and THE ARTIST Lead the Pack

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 24th, 2012 at 6:05 am

The nominations for the 84th Annual Academy Awards have finally been unveiled. Many of the categories have fallen in line just as most have predicted (I fared alright with my predictions, but not great), with Hugo scoring 11 nods, followed closely by The Artist with 10. The biggest surprises are War Horse and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close getting in for Best Picture, the exclusion of The Adventures of Tintin from Best Animated Feature, and The Tree of Life nabbing Best Picture and Best Director nods (hooray!). On the snub side of things, despite landing the most precursor critics awards of any other actor in the race thus far, Albert Brooks was denied a Best Supporting Actor nod for his stellar work in Drive (boo). Additionally, Tilda Swinton was overlooked for giving the best performance of the year in We Need to Talk About Kevin, and AMPAS has no love for Michael Fassbender‘s haunting work in Shame.

There’s still plenty to be happy about, as Gary Oldman has his first ever Oscar Nomination (yes, that’s right) and Melissa McCarthy is a Best Supporting Actress nominee. Hit the jump to check out the full list of nominees. The 84th Academy Awards will be presented by Billy Crystal on February 26th.

THE MUPPETS Blu-ray/DVD Release Set for March 20

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 19th, 2012 at 2:59 pm

If you’ve been itching to revisit the delightfully charming The Muppets over and over again in the comfort of your own home, itch no more. Disney today announced that The Muppets will be released on March 20th on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, Digital Download, and On Demand. Additionally, the studio is releasing a “Wocka-Wocka Value Pack” which includes the movie on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Copy plus a download card that allows fans to own all the songs from the glorious soundtrack.

Special features on the home video release include a feature called “Disney Intermission” which allows the viewer to pause the movie and watch as the Muppets come onscreen and entertain until the movie resumes playing. Also included is the extended version of Tex Richman’s Rap (sung so eloquently by Chris Cooper), a blooper reel, a look inside the making of a Muppet, deleted scenes, all the spoof trailers, and audio commentaries with star/co-writer Jason Segel, writer Nicholas Stoller, and director James Bobin. Hit the jump to check out the cover art for the different video formats and to read the full press release, which includes pricing, specs, etc.

THE ARTIST Wins Top Prize at Critics Choice Awards; George Clooney Named Best Actor

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 12th, 2012 at 7:52 pm

With each passing awards ceremony, it’s looking more and more likely that we’re in for a fairly boring/predictable Oscars this year. The Artist continues to dominate the precursor ceremonies as it took home the Best Picture and Best Director prize at the Critics Choice Awards. On the acting side of things, George Clooney was named Best Actor for his work in The Descendants, and Viola Davis won Best Actress for The Help. The Artist is our clear frontrunner headed towards Oscar night, and I don’t really think anything else will be able to take it down. I can’t really complain about any of the acting wins, though for what it’s worth I think Brad Pitt gave the best performance of the year in Moneyball.

Elsewhere, Drive won Best Action Movie (though it’s really a drama) Bridesmaids won Best Comedy, and Rango was named Best Animated Feature. Hit the jump to see the full list of winners.

Bret McKenzie Talks THE MUPPETS, THE HOBBIT, FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS, and More

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 6th, 2012 at 9:10 am

I was excited when I heard a new Muppets movie was in the works.  I became more excited when I heard it would be a musical.  And then I became ecstatic when I learned that Bret McKenzie would be the film’s music supervisor.  My elation came from being a huge Flight of the Conchords fan.  McKenzie is one-half of the folk-music-comedy duo (the other half being Jemaine Clement), and through their albums and HBO series, they’ve shown they can easily play with any music genre.

Earlier this week, I got to speak with McKenzie over the phone and we discussed his process on creating the songs for The Muppets, his musical and comic inspirations the possibility of a song from the movie being nominated for an Oscar, his work on The Hobbit, his future musical endeavors, a ukulele orchestra, and more.  Hit the jump to check out the interview.

Top 10 Trailers of 2011

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 26th, 2011 at 8:45 pm

A trailer usually has less than two minutes and thirty seconds to dazzle the viewer and put a movie on his or her radar.  The Internet allows studios to go beyond this theater-mandated time limit and not only run a longer trailer, but also ones that have been approved only for the emotionally mature online community.  But no matter the runtime or how many times a character can swear, the trailer still has to grab your attention.  They can sell us on a premise we didn’t know we wanted, and can find a way to make us even more excited for a movie we were already itching to see.

Hit the jump to check out my picks for Top 10 Trailers of 2011.

39 Songs Contend for Best Original Song Oscar; Nominees Include THE MUPPETS and CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 19th, 2011 at 2:38 pm

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced today that 39 eligible songs will contend for the Best Original Song Oscar this year. Important to note is that a relatively recent rule change states that songs must be judged in the capacity that they appear in each film. In early January the voting body will get together and watch clips from each eligible movie in which the 39 songs are featured, after which they will determine the nominees. The list of eligible songs include three tracks from The Muppets, Sigur Ros frontman Jonsi’s song “Gathering Stories” (which director Cameron Crowe co-wrote) from We Bought a Zoo, and composer/songwriter/eight-time Oscar-winner Alan Menken’s “Star Spangled Man” from Captain America: The First Avenger. I’m partial to Jonsi’s work or “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets, but we’ll see how the Academy’s taste stacks up towards the end of January.

Hit the jump to check out the full list of eligible songs. The 84th Academy Award nominations will be announced on January 24th.

Watch the Music Video for “Man or Muppet” from THE MUPPETS

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 9th, 2011 at 2:12 pm

Disney has released the music video for the song “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets. The number, penned by Flight of the Conchords’ Bret McKenzie, is one of the highlights of the movie. Sung by Jason Segel and the Muppet Walter, the music video is just the song sequence from the film, which features a Muppet version of Segel and a well-placed Big Bang Theory cameo. As I noted in our “What Awards can The Muppets Actually Win?” article, I think “Man or Muppet” stands a good chance for a Best Original Song nomination at the Oscars.

Hit the jump to watch the music video. The Muppets is currently playing in theaters everywhere.

What Awards Can THE MUPPETS Actually Win?

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 3rd, 2011 at 3:56 pm

The Muppets returned to theaters this year in a big way with director James Bobin’s aptly named The Muppets. While the film could have easily become a heavy-handed and groan-worthy kids movie, Bobin and Co. delivered a sweet, funny, and ultimately touching flick that is just as effective for 7-year-olds as it is for cold, cynical cinephiles. When the Oscar hosting gig was once again up for grabs earlier this year, a campaign to have our lovely Muppets take up the duties gained some significant traction. While producers ultimately went with Billy Crystal, the whole idea got us thinking: what awards could the film actually win?  Hit the jump for our take on The Muppets’ chances in this coming awards season.

Friday Box Office – THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 Set for Third Straight Win

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: December 3rd, 2011 at 9:12 am

Still stuffed from all the movies Hollywood was offering over Thanksgiving?  Not to worry.  This weekend will give you a chance to digest some of those titles that got leftover from last weekend’s feast.  As usual, the Friday after the holiday saw no new wide releases; which means that (also as usual) this should prove to be one of the lowest grossing weekends of the year.  The good news for Twilight fans is that the lack of competition will allow Breaking Dawn Part 1 to claim a third weekend at number one: a feat that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 could not match one year ago.  The only notable news coming from the multiplex is the increased theatre counts for both Hugo and The Descendants.  We’ll have details (insignificant though they may be) tomorrow.

	Title	Friday	Total
1	Breaking Dawn Part 1	$5,500,000	$235.9
2	The Muppets	$2,700,000	$48
3	Hugo	$2,000,000	$19.5
4	Arthur Christmas	$1,700,000	$19.6
5	Jack & Jill	$1,600,000	$60.4

Details on the Original Ending and Deleted Scenes for THE MUPPETS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 28th, 2011 at 7:57 am

The Muppets has been a big hit with critics and while it couldn’t beat out Twilight at the box office over Thanksgiving weekend, Kermit and the gang are expected to rise to #1 this weekend when there will be no new wide releases.  But when you go to see the movie (if you haven’t seen it already), you should know you’re not watching the original ending.  Hit the jump to find out how the movie originally wrapped up along with details on some other deleted scenes.  Obviously, there will be spoilers.

Weekend Box Office – BREAKING DAWN PART 1 Wins Holiday Crown with $42 Million Weekend and $221 Million Domestic Total

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: November 27th, 2011 at 9:36 am

It may not have topped last year’s holiday in terms of totals, but Thanksgiving 2011 did prove bountiful for a handful of films.  Topping the list is Breaking Dawn Part 1 and its sophomore weekend estimate of $42 million and five-day holiday total of $62.3 million.  Meanwhile, The Muppets proved they still got game with a five-day total of $42 million.

	Title	Weekend	5-day	Total
1	Breaking Dawn Part 1	$42,000,000	$62.3	$221.3
2	The Muppets	$29,500,000	$42	$42
3	Happy Feet Two	$13,400,000	$18.3	$43.7
4	Arthur Christmas	$12,700,000	$16.9	$16.9
5	Hugo	$11,400,000	$15.3	$15.3
6	Jack and Jill	$10,300,000	$14.1	$57.4
7	Immortals	$8,800,000	$12.5	$67.6
8	Puss In Boots	$7,450,000	$19.4	$135.3
9	Tower Heist	$7,320,000	$10.2	$65.4
10	The Descendants	$7,200,000	$9.2	$10.7

Producers David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman Talk THE MUPPETS, THE FIGHTER Sequel, WARM BODIES and the PHINEAS AND FERB Movie

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: November 27th, 2011 at 8:50 am

With The Muppets now playing, all week I’ve been posting exclusive video interviews with the cast and filmmakers.  The past week I posted my conversations with Amy Adams, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, Jason Segel and Walter, director James Bobin, co-screenwriter Nicholas Stoller, and today I’ve got  producers David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman.  But before getting to the interview, as I’ve said all week, I absolutely loved The Muppets.  It’s one of my favorite films of the year and it not only made me laugh, it also made me cry.  If you were nervous about the movie…don’t be.  It’s a huge home run.

During the interview, Hoberman and Lieberman talked about their reaction to seeing the finished film for the first time, the test screening process, Kermit’s song “Pictures of My Head,” the newest Muppet Walter, and the possibility that The Muppets might return to TV.  In addition, with Hoberman and Lieberman having produced The Fighter and involved in other projects, I asked the status of a sequel, what’s up with Warm Bodies, and the movie adaptation of Phineas and Ferb.  Hit the jump to watch.

TOP 5: THE MUPPETS, HUGO, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, PROMETHEUS, Gary Oldman and Colin Firth Discuss AKIRA and OLDBOY Rumors

by Jason Barr    Posted: November 26th, 2011 at 1:15 pm

I did it, folks. I came, saw, and survived yet another Black Friday. This year’s destination of choice was my local Best Buy and I sat outside in moderately chilly temperatures for around six hours for one lonely purpose: to buy things for cheaper than what they were the day before. That’s right, I rocked Best Buy to the tune of two seasons of television on DVD for a combined $15. Now, I know some of you reading this may be thinking, “Wait, Jason waited outside for six hours so that he could buy two seasons of TV on DVD?”. My answer: a resounding “Yes!”. It’s the small things, people. The small things.

But enough of my Black Friday exploits. In this week’s “Top 5″ installment you’ll find interviews for this weekend’s openers The Muppets and Hugo, new images and plot details from The Dark Knight Rises, new images from Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, and Gary Oldman and Colin Firth addressing Akira and Oldboy remake rumors. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

Friday Box Office – BREAKING DAWN PART 1 Still On Top; THE MUPPETS in Second

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: November 26th, 2011 at 9:34 am

If Black Friday’s estimates are any gauge, this year’s Thanksgiving weekend is going to be a bit of a downer.  Traditionally one of the biggest movie days of the year, 2011’s post-holiday Friday saw drops in both gross and attendance over a year ago.  To give you one example, this year’s 3D-animated Arthur Christmas performed about as well on its first Friday as last year’s 2D musical Burlesque. Up at the top, Breaking Dawn Part 1 continued to shine with an estimated $16.9 million.  That’s a decline of 75% from the film’s opening day, though the drop was expected given the front-heavy nature of The Twilight Saga series.  Last year’s big ‘Part 1’, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, managed to make about 20% more on its second Friday, putting 2011 at a bit of a disadvantage.  At number two with an estimated $12.2 million, The Muppets came in almost 35% behind 2010’s Tangled, though the latter did have 3D-pricing on its side.  The only film to buck the downward trend was Hugo.  Martin Scorsese’s 3D family-film earned $4.5 million on Friday – more than what it was projected to make just a few days ago.  More analysis tomorrow.

	Title	Friday	Total
1	Breaking Dawn Part 1	$16,900,000
2	The Muppets	$12,275,000
3	Happy Feet Two	$5,130,000
4	Arthur Christmas	$4,550,000
5	Hugo	$4,530,000

Nicholas Stoller Talks THE MUPPETS, THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT, SEX TAPE, and More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: November 25th, 2011 at 6:03 pm

With The Muppets now playing, all week I’ve been posting exclusive video interviews with the cast.  The past few days I posted my conversations with Amy Adams, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, Jason Segel and Walter, director James Bobin, and today I’ve got co-screenwriter Nicholas Stoller (as well as director of Get Him to the Greek and Forgetting Sarah Marshall).  But before getting to the interview, as I’ve said all week, I absolutely loved The Muppets.  It’s one of my favorite films of the year and it not only made me laugh, it also made me cry.  If you were nervous about the movie…don’t be.  It’s a huge home run.

During my extended video interview with Stoller, we talked about the status of how the script changed along the way, ’80s Robot, Infant Sorrow, the notes they got from Disney, his favorite jokes, and a lot more.  In addition, with Stoller currently in post production on his next film, The Five-Year Engagement (which also stars Jason Segel), we talked about his first test screening, the music (it’ll be a lot of Van Morrison), editing a movie with so much improv, and how the movie might be longer than people expect.  Finally, with Stoller also attached to Sex Tape, I asked the status of that project.  Hit the jump for more.

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