In a way, this is what Muppet fans have been dreaming of for a while now -- a meeting of the minds between those responsible for the Muppets franchise and the family entertainment geniuses at Pixar. There's been an on-again/off-again effort to recapture some of Jim Henson's magic since his passing in 1990, but if there's anyone that has some magic to spare, it's Pixar. Their particular brand of humor and characterization finds the same middle ground that Henson did between enchanting the kids and amusing the adults.Those involved with the new Muppet film, penned by its human star Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, met with the Pixar "Brain Trust" for a table read of the script. That Pixar inner circle includes John Lasseter, Brad Bird, Pete Docter, and Andrew Stanton, though Hollywood Reporter had no details on exactly which of Pixar's heavy-hitters were present at the meeting.
This is the second time that Pixar has helped out on a live-action Disney production, recently offering some feedback on Tron Legacy that probably led to that film's recent reshoots. As a longtime Muppet fanatic (a 10-inch Gonzo action figure sits directly to the right of my desk as I type this), I'm very excited that Pixar's involved at all, even if they're only consultants.
Filed under: Comedy, Family Films, Newsstand
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