THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN (1984)

2023-11-17

After the back-to-back productions of Muppet Caper and Dark Crystal, Jim Henson was ready for a break from directing. So when the studio wanted a third Muppet Movie, he turned to his creative partner Frank Oz to take over the behind-the-scenes duties of the latest Muppet opus, unknowingly kicking off the career of a prolific director. What began as a very jokey script called “The Muppets: The Legend Continues” became a very earnest, heartfelt film about friendship, found family, and Broadway. Als...

After the back-to-back productions of Muppet Caper and Dark Crystal, Jim Henson was ready for a break from directing. So when the studio wanted a third Muppet Movie, he turned to his creative partner Frank Oz to take over the behind-the-scenes duties of the latest Muppet opus, unknowingly kicking off the career of a prolific director.

What began as a very jokey script called “The Muppets: The Legend Continues” became a very earnest, heartfelt film about friendship, found family, and Broadway. Also featuring a sequence that introduced the world to the Muppet Babies, as well as a wedding that took the world by storm, the legacy of THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN holds a special place in the history of the Muppet franchise.

Associate Producer Matt Bennett joins Nick and Scott to discuss how this movie evolved the Muppets from vaudeville archetypes to three-dimensional characters.

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