The Muppets take on the Wizard of Oz

[Sarangel]

A short article from Jim Hill on the shooting of the new version of The Wizard of Oz (muppet style). Probably worth seeing, but I remain skeptical - why re-do this movie? It hasn't worked for any of the other re-do's.

Sarangel

 

[mrsR123]

I'm usually not a fan of re-makes, but Muppet takes on classics are historically well done. I love A Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island. Both have pretty "true" adaptations yet are funnier for younger audiences than the texts or more traditional movie versions.

In fact, when I've taught both texts, we've watched the movies to use as compare and contrast discussions.

Once Upon a Mattress is so funny a show; it will be nice for a new generation to be exposed to it.

 

[Prince Eric1]

The muppet remakes have been generally entertaining. Besides, the original Wizard was a little intense for some children to enjoy, and a muppet version would be funnier with less of the scary aspects. I hope they go for it, as we would watch.

 

[petula]

I can't wait to see this. Both Muppet Treasure Island and Muppet Christmas Carol are always in my dvd rotation. A muppet version of anything is going to be very different from any other interpretation. And, man, I love the extras they put on those dvds.

 

[JeffH]

Over the weekend I wondered if the Muppets could possibly translate the Shrek success into some success of their own by making a Muppet send off of the Shrek series.
Kermit (green) would make the perfect ogre, with Miss Piggy as the princess.
It would just kill Katzenburg's to see Disney come in and rip HIM off after all the ripoffs he's (and Dreamworks) done of Disney ideas since he's left (Antz released just before Bug's Life, Deep Impact released just before Armageddon, Shark's Tale released after Nemo, and all the others I can't remember).
But it would be great for Disney/Muppets to make fun of Shrek making fun of fairy tails and such, and would allow for Disney itself to poke their own fun at their own fairy tales.
Maybe the Muppets could redefine 3D family features like Pixar and Shrek did?!?
Imagine getting the Shrek audience, the Muppet faithful and the Disney families to all show up for this...

I would do 1 movie that sends up the basic plot of the 2 Shrek movies put together.

Paul Williams as the short Prince who wants to be king
Hathway (Princess Diaries) as the Princess (who turns into Miss Piggy at night)
Kermit as the GREEN 'prince' frog, what a wonderful double send off (Green like Shrek and a frog that one might kiss to become a Prince)
Fozzy Bear as his annoying sidekick (or Brent Spiner as his annoying android sidekick, making fun of ST)
The Swedish Chef as the Princesse's Father and Julie Andrews as her mom (or as the manipulating fairy godmother)
Robin Williams inventing a flubber driven carriage.
Rizzo the rat (and his buddys) as Gus, Suzy and the other mice from Cinderella.

Since it would be live action with muppets they could use REAL cameos who could send up their own projects, making fun of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings as they run into them on their journey's. And if they mix in some typical animated looking 3D animation, it would be the first film to mix all three techniques (especially since 3D animation in other live action films is created to look real, not animated like in the Shrek and Pixar films). Gee, they could even mix in a few copywrited 2D Disney animated characters in 3D to make fun of or add fun to the film...with a scene of a 3D Mickey Mouse welcoming Kermit to 'the family'

They could twist it up a bit and have Miss Piggy play the princess and the starlet be the monster she turns into, who then Kermit 'prefers'...only to have Miss Piggy come out in the end upset at Kermit for prefering the monster over her chasing him around the stage hitting him with a muppet chicken as the titles role.

Disney...feel free to take this idea and run...I'd love to see Disney cash in on Dreamworks for once and see the Muppets have a hit movie, and have some fun with Disney characters and stories.

 

[mrsR123]

Forgive me if I missed the tongue in your cheek:

B+ for extended metaphor--pretty funny
D+ for business plan-- yeesh would I hate to see Disney stoop this low on film.

 

[JeffH]

Guess you didn't like Shrek.

 

[mrsR123]

On the contrary. I liked both Shreks very much. I'd just rather see Disney spend more time and energy on developing original stories, or their own brand of classics--like the Muppet movies do--than chase a contemporary trend.

 

[JeffH]

I'm not talking about "Disney's" next movie, I'm talking about the next Muppet movie...this would be right down the Muppets alley...the Muppets already have a history of doing send ups (Muppets Treasure Island, Christmas Carol). And Disney also has done some send ups of itself (on the House of Mouse, mainly, and with all the way out stuff they did with Stitch)
What's wrong with giving the public more of what it wants? Shrek 1 was great, Shrek 2 was even better and was the top movie of all of them this year.
And only Disney has the rights to make fun of Disney.
And I can't think of a better and more fitting way to breath new life into their newly acquired Muppets by making their first movie with Disney a 'monster' hit. It would reestablish Disney as a hit maker and reestabilish the Muppets as hits.
Disney still will be putting out traditional movies (new Pooh film next Spring, and Chicken Little 3DA)
I don't see your point?
Over the last few years as Disney gave us traditional original films that flopped for various reasons (like Atlantis being crushed by Shrek, like TP against both HP and LotR) I've seen Disney bashed left and right (especially on this board) for not putting out movies that people go to see and negatively compared to the success of Pixar and Shrek.

 

[mrsR123]

JeffH:

I'm not sure what you mean by Shrek 2 being "the top movie of all of them this year."

I'm not sure what you mean my "traditional" movies.


My point, since you asked, is that a reactionary, parodied send-up of someone else's parodied fairy tale shouldn't be a Disney movie. It just seems to me like an idea that comes from a "hey, that Shrek guy is popular, how can we make money off that" idea rather than the furtherance of a story.

If Disney had come up with Shrek-- or any story focused on an ogre-- I'd have been all for it. If they were doing a Muppets Chicken Little instead of the animated one, I'd be all for it.

I just don't see Muppets and Shrek as a classic two great tastes that taste great together combo.

Perhaps we should just agree to disagree.

 

[barbeml]

This is timely. My SIL wanted to show Wizard to my 4-year-old nephew a couple of weeks ago. The witch and flying monkeys in the preview were enough for him. He did NOT want to see it. (Incidentally, he doesn't mind Ursula--he calls her "The angry octopus").

A Muppet Oz sounds good to me. The Muppets always manage a fresh take on things. I would see it.

 

[TheTexasKid]

That is good news, as I actually prefer the Muppet remakes of the classics to their films based on original scripts. I have given some thought to the cast of an all-Muppet "Wizard of Oz," and these are the roles for each Muppet.

Dorothy: she is looking a little green this year, as Kermit plays a role similiar to the one of Dorothy in the film.

Glinda, the Good Witch of the North: Miss Piggy

The Wicked Witch of the West: because she is such a ham, we"ll have Miss Piggy play a dual role.

The Scarecrow: Sam the Eagle. They both need a brain.

The Tinman: Gonzo. It was this or the Scarecrow. And I thought he'd looked more like a Tinman then a Scarecrow.

The Cowardly Lion. Fozzy. Or, in this case, the Cowardly Bear.

The Wizard: Bunsen, ablely assisted by his assistant Beaker.

The Munchkins: Dr. Teeth and his band, including Animal. The Muppet rendition of the Munchkins.

Toto: just as every girl needs a dog, so every frog needs a rat, so
Rizzo will play a role similiar to Toto.

Of course, that still leads Sweetums and the Swedish Chef to shoehorn into the film somewhere.

 

[ShadowWind]

Ashanti, the pop singer, has been tapped to play Dorothy. Can't remember the other cast. This was reported on Foxnews I think. Sounded more like a TV movie than a theatrical release from the way it read, but I could be wrong.

 

[Sarangel]

Here's a link to the casting choices for this project. Scroll down to the bottom of the thread.

Sarangel