No compensation was received for this post. I attended a press conference which facilitated the writing of this post.
Last week, I shared a sneak peek of Disney’s upcoming caper-style musical film Muppets Most Wanted. The highly anticipated sequel to the original 2011 film debuts in theaters this week, and my kids can’t stop talking about The Muppets! The film brings together a remarkable cast (and a host of exciting cameo guest stars) in an exciting story which takes the Muppets gang on a global European tour. Selling out theaters in Berlin, Madrid, and London, the Muppets quickly find themselves in the middle of an international crime caper, led by Constantine, (aka the world’s most dangerous frog) and his sidekick Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais). During one of the most engaging press conferences to date, we sat down with director James Bobin, Producer Todd Lieberman, and Academy Award-winning musician and producer Bret McKenzie to talk about the inspiration behind the story, the music, and the locales in Muppets Most Wanted.
For many audiences (including my own children), this is their first introduction to The Muppets and the filmmakers worked to ensure that Muppets Most Wanted “[embodied] but also [maintained] the heart that we had in the first movie (Lieberman).” The original 2011 film in many ways sought to reintroduce audiences to The Muppets by bringing them “back together.” Both Lieberman and Bobin agreed that the sequel “feels a bit more Muppets now” since “the emotional story centers around the Muppets.”
On the inspiration for the story:
Director James Bobin recalls always enjoying films about big diamonds, such as the Pink Panther and The Thomas Crown Affair. “They have a good energy about them,” and as a film genre, Bobin felt like the Muppets could “own genres and refer to them and be part of them.” Additional inspiration came from the original film, where audiences saw glimpses of the Muppet Show. “I thought, why not do a world tour and keep putting the Muppet show out again and again…and you can combine the Muppet show elements with this kind of caper-style story.” One of the main plot elements that my kids have been fascinated with is the “second” Kermit. The idea of a doppleganger is a classic old movie troupe and since “Kermit is the most beloved frog in the world, the simple thought was ‘what if there was a bad version of this guy?’ The rest is history as they say.”
On selecting the film’s locales:
In Muppets Most Wanted, the Muppets travel to Berlin, Madrid, and London to perform. Additionally, Kermit is locked up inside “The Big House,” a Siberian Gulag. According to Bobin, “the basic rule about Europe in this movie [is that] it’s a bit like Europe from National Lampoon’s European Vacation…it’s like [an] old movie trope version of what Europe is.” Bobin goes on to explain that in an 80’s movie, the bad guy would be Russian. “Constantine was always based on General Orlov and I thought that would be a funny character for Kermit’s doppleganger to sound like. This movie kind of feels like it’s of that era..60’s, 70’s, 80’s and in those times, [films] were set in Monte Carlo, Montevideo, and Buenos Aires.” The three cities showcased in the film have that same feel, making them the ideal locales for a caper-style film.
On maintaining the “vibe” of the original Muppets:
While many of the Hensons are no longer living, Bobin noted that Brian Henson was on set during the production of the original film, The Muppets. “His opinion is obviously very important” and the two share the common tie of having made two Muppet movies. While it was much more difficult to have Henson on-set in Europe, both Brian and Lisa Henson loved the film which was important to Bobin in continuing Jim Henson’s legacy.
On “the music”:
Bret McKenzie returns as Music Supervisor for the film, and having listened to the soundtrack every day since we received it, I can tell you that it’s upbeat and clever with moments of poignancy and nostalgia. Director James Bobin worked closely with McKenzie to develop music that not only complimented the story but conveyed emotion and wit while staying true to the Muppets as a whole. According to Bobin, the “Muppets live in that kind of history world that when you do a musical number it kinda has to be Busby Berkeley.” “It was such a golden age for musicals as well” remarks McKenzie. The two have worked together for ten years, and in order to find the right tone for the film, Bobin would pose an idea and McKenzie would be ahead of him on it. The result of their back and forth synchrony is a soundtrack you’ll have on repeat. One of my favorite songs is titled Something So Right, performed by Miss Piggy, Kermit, Celine Dion & The Muppets. McKenzie recalls the visual idea he had for the ballad…”what if we had this flashback…this sort of dreamy, you know, moment where Piggy is sort of thinking about her future and she sees her with Kermit growing old and she pulls out, a little pink frog and a little green pig.” Together the two realized this idea in a song that authentically captures the relationship between Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.
Muppets Most Wanted debuts in theaters March 21st, 2014. Be sure to come back on Friday for my complete review of the film.
Images: Disney
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