Movatterモバイル変換

[0]ホーム
URL:

Jump to content
WikipediaThe Free Encyclopedia
Search

The Muppets Studio

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company

The Muppets Studio, LLC
FormerlyThe Muppets Holding Company, LLC (2004–2007)
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryEntertainment
FoundedFebruary 14, 2004; 21 years ago (2004-02-14)
Headquarters,
United States
Key people
Leigh Slaughter (vice president)[1]
Products
  • Film
  • Television series
Brands
Number of employees
5 (2015)[2]
Parent
Websitemuppets.disney.com

The Muppets Studio, LLC is an American entertainmentproduction company and subsidiary ofthe Walt Disney Company, that owns and produces media content forThe Muppets franchise.[3] The division was previously formed asThe Muppets Holding Company, LLC on February 14, 2004, through Disney's acquisition of The Muppets andBear in the Big Blue Houseintellectual properties fromthe Jim Henson Company.

The Muppets Studio manages the rights to The Muppets characters, including supervising their appearances across Disney's various divisions, as well as producing films, television series, specials, theme park attractions, music recordings, publishing, and live performances featuring the characters. The division does not have ownership of theSesame Street orFraggle Rock characters, which are owned bySesame Workshop and the Jim Henson Company, respectively.

History

[edit]

Background: Disney and Henson's failed merger

[edit]

In the late-1980s,Jim Henson had been in talks with DisneyCEOMichael Eisner to sellJim Henson Productions to Disney.[4] In August 1989, the two officially announced a deal for Disney to purchase Jim Henson Productions for $150 million.[5] The deal fell through several months after Jim Henson's death in 1990.[6]

Despite the collapse of the merger deal, by 1992, Disney and Jim Henson Productions had already struck a number of deals:

The Henson family subsequently sold the entirety of the Jim Henson Company to German conglomerateEM.TV in 2000. In 2003, the Henson family repurchased The Jim Henson Company from EM.TV.[9]

Disney acquisition and formation

[edit]

Eisner, still interested in the Muppet properties, re-opened negotiations with the Hensons and announced the purchase ofThe Muppets andBear in the Big Blue House assets fromThe Jim Henson Company for $75 million on February 17, 2004.[9] The acquired Muppet assets were then placed into The Muppets Holding Company with Chris Curtin as general manager withinDisney Consumer Products.[10] One of the first appearances that the Muppets made after the purchase was on the television specialThe Nick and Jessica Variety Hour in April 2004, starringNick Lachey andJessica Simpson.[11] A new website was launched in November 2004 and the Muppets made an appearance on the 2004 Christmas episode ofSaturday Night Live.[12]

The first Muppet production under full Disney control,The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, went into production immediately and aired onABC in May 2005.[13] On July 30, 2005, Animal and Pepe the King Prawn made appearance on TheX Games 11 Preview show of All Access onESPN2.[14] Bear's first appearance under Disney's control was in the reality show,Breakfast With Bear in 2005.[15]

A fiftieth birthday tour for Kermit, "Kermit's World Tour" was planned with leadership changes made just days before the tour began. The tour made its initial three stops before being canceled:Kermit, Texas;Johnson Space Center tour; and cake withThe Rockettes atRadio City Music Hall, NYC.[12] Following Eisner's exit from Disney, new CEOBob Iger removed the head of the Muppets Holding Company and several senior staff members hand-picked by Eisner.[12] The Muppets Holding Company was then paired withBaby Einstein (before it was acquired byKids II, Inc. in 2013) under Senior Vice President and General Manager R. Russell Hampton Jr.[12][16]

ABC, in October 2005, commissionedAmerica's Next Muppet, a script and five script outlines,[17][18] but ABC was reluctant to green lightAmerica's Next Muppet,[12] and it never got out of the planning stage.[9] Muppet Holding's new general manager instead licensed the Muppets out toTF1, a French television network, to produceMuppet TV in September 2006.[19]

The Muppets Studio

[edit]

In 2006, the Muppets Holding Company was transferred from the Disney Consumer Products unit toThe Walt Disney Studios; with studio executives passing on oversight, the unit was placed in the special events group.[9][10] That same year, Disney contractedPuppet Heap to rebuild, maintain, and create puppet characters for the Muppets Studio. In April 2007, the Muppets Holding Company changed its name to The Muppets Studio under new leadership by Special Events GroupSVP Lylle Breier.[12]

In 2008, The Muppets Studio began a licensing agreement withF.A.O. Schwarz to create a Muppet-themed boutique where customers can design their own Muppet.[9] In 2013,Disney Theatrical Productions revealed that a show based on The Muppets was in active development and that a 15-minute show had been conducted byThomas Schumacher to see how the technical components would work out.[20]

The company was transferred in 2015 to Disney's new media unit,Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media, specifically DCPI Labs.[16][21] On April 3, 2015, a series of shorts namedMuppet Moments premiered onDisney Junior. The series features conversations between the Muppets and young children.[22] By April,Bill Prady was commissioned to write a script for a new Muppets pilot with the titleThe Muppets,[8] which was greenlit by ABC, and ran for one season.[23]

Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media became part ofDisney Parks, Experiences and Products in a March 2018 company reorganization.[3] That same month, areboot of the 1980sMuppet Babies series debuted on Disney Junior.[24] A relaunch of the Muppets franchise was planned as of February 2018 for the then-unnamed Disney streaming service scheduled to be launched in 2019.[25][26] Soon two series were under development for theDisney+ streaming service, the unscripted short-form seriesMuppets Now, and the scripted comedyMuppets Live Another Day.Live Another Day was fromAdam Horowitz,Eddy Kitsis, andJosh Gad, and was planned as an eight-episode series which would depict events taking place afterThe Muppets Take Manhattan.[23] The series was atABC Signature Studios with a pilot order when Muppets Studios vice president Debbie McClellan departed and her replacement, Disney Parks Live Entertainment senior vice president David Lightbody, wanted a different take on the project. Unwilling to drop their concept, the creative trio left the project.Muppets Now continued development and premiered on the streaming service on July 31, 2020.[23][27]

In 2021Muppets Haunted Mansion, an original special that debuted in October 2021 on Disney+.[28] The special would win Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design at the inauguralChildren's & Family Emmy Awards in 2022.[29]

In 2022, it was announced thatABC Signature and The Muppets Studio were developing a 10-episode series for Disney+ based onThe Electric Mayhem, under the titleThe Muppets Mayhem, withAdam F. Goldberg, Jeff Yorkes and Muppet performer and writer Bill Barretta as showrunners and executive producers.[30] The series would debut May 10, 2023, on Disney+ but would be cancelled after one season in November 2023.[31] The series would win the Outstanding Children's or Family Viewing Series award at the Children's & Family Emmy Awards in 2024.

In September 2025, it was announced that The Muppets Studio,20th Television andPoint Grey Pictures were developing a new version ofThe Muppet Show with a special slated for a 2026 release on Disney+. The special will serve as a backdoor pilot for a potential revival/reboot of the original series. The special will be directed byAlex Timberts with Albertina Rizzo as writer.Seth Rogen,Evan Goldberg and Muppet performersMatt Vogel andEric Jacobson will serve as executive producers, alongsideSabrina Carpenter as a star and executive producer.[32][33]

Leadership

[edit]
General manager
  • Chris Curtin, 2004–2005[13][12]
  • Russell Hampton, 2005–May 2006[12]
  • Lylle Breier, Fall 2006[12]
Vice-president
  • Debbie McClellan, c.2015–2019[34][23]
  • David Lightbody, 2019–present[23] (senior vice-president)
  • Leigh Slaughter, 2020–present[35][1]

Projects

[edit]
See also:List of The Muppets productions

Television series

[edit]
TitleCreator(s)/ ShowrunnersYear(s)NetworkCo-production withNotes
Bear In The Big Blue HouseMitchell Kriegman1997-2006Playhouse DisneyShadow Projects andJim Henson TelevisionCo-production for the final episodes of Season 4[36]
Breakfast With BearRick Fernandes2005-2006Disney ChannelSpin-off ofBear In The Big Blue House[15]
Muppets TVJérôme Francois-Sigrand2006TF1
Studio DC: Almost LiveMatt Leuthe
Steve Millunzi		2008Disney ChannelDisney Channels Worldwide and American English Entertainment[9][37]
Muppet MomentsBill Barretta2015Disney Jr.Disney Channels Worldwide and Soapbox Films[22]
The MuppetsBill Prady
Bob Kushell		2015-2016ABC NetworkABC Studios and Bill Prady Productions[38]
Muppet BabiesMr. Warbuton
Matt Danner
Chris Hamilton		2018-2022Disney Jr.Disney Branded Television and Oddbot AnimationPreschool animated series[39]
Muppets NowKirk Thatcher2020Disney+Soapbox Films[40]
The Muppets MayhemAdam F. Goldberg
Jeff Yorkes
Bill Barreta		2023Disney Branded Television, Adam F. Goldberg Productions and ABC Signature[41]

Shorts

[edit]
TitleYear(s)NetworkNotes
Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony2005-2008Movies.com
MuppetYouTube Videos2008–presentYouTube[9]
The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora2010DisneyGo
Muppisodes2013-2014Disney.com[42]
Disney Drive-On with the Muppets2014Disney Movies Anywhere[43]
Muppet Babies Show and Tell2018YouTubeAnimated shorts[44]
Muppet Babies Play Date2019[45]

Television specials

[edit]
#TitleRelease dateNetworkCo-production(s)Notes
1A Muppets Christmas: Letters to SantaDecember 17, 2008NBC
2Lady Gaga and the Muppets Holiday SpectacularNovember 28, 2013ABC NetworkLincoln Square Productions[46]
3Muppets Haunted MansionOctober 8, 2021Disney+Disney Branded Television and Soapbox Films[47]
4Untitled "The Muppet Show" Revival SpecialTBA, 2026Disney Branded Television,20th Television andPoint Grey Pictures[48][49]

Television films

[edit]
#TitleRelease dateNetworkCo-production(s)Notes
1The Muppets' Wizard of OzApril 27, 2005ABC NetworkThe Jim Henson Company[13]

Theatrical Films

[edit]
#TitleRelease dateDirectorWriter(s)Producer(s)Composer(s)Co-production withBudgetGrossRTMC
1The MuppetsNovember 23, 2011James BobinJason Segel andNicholas StollerDavid Hoberman andTodd LiebermanChristophe BeckWalt Disney Pictures
Mandeville Films		$45 million$171.8 million95%75
2Muppets Most WantedMarch 21, 2014James Bobin and Nicholas Stoller$50 million$80.4 million80%61
Upcoming
3UntitledMiss Piggy filmcolspan="2"TBACole EscolaJennifer Laurence andEmma StoneTBAWalt Disney Pictures
Excellent Cadaver
Fruit Tree		colspan="4"TBA

Theme park attractions

[edit]
TitleTheme ParkYear(s)Notes
Muppet*Vision 3DDisney's MGM Studios
Disney's California Adventure		1991-2025
(Disney's MGM Studios/Disney's Hollywood Studios)
2001-2014
(Disney's California Adventure)		Formerly titled asJim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3D.[50]
Muppets Ahoy!Disney Wonder2006Stage show
Muppets CourtyardDisney's Hollywood Studios2016–2025
PizzeRizzoRestaurant[51]
Muppet Mobile LabDisney's California Adventure
Hong Kong Disneyland		2007-2019Audio-Animatronic for Disney's "Living Character Initiative"
The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American HistoryWalt Disney World2016-2020Live show forMagic Kingdom[52]
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The MuppetsDisney's Hollywood Studios2026Rollercoaster atDisney's Hollywood Studios[53][54]

Theatrical productions

[edit]
  • Rob Lake Magic with Special Guests The Muppets (October 28, 2025 - January 18, 2026) (Broadhurst Theatre)

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abPotter, Courtney (Summer 2020)."Muppets Now is a Stream Come True".D23. Disney. RetrievedJune 26, 2020.
  2. ^Jurgensen, John (September 10, 2015)."The Muppets Grow Up and Go Back to Prime Time".The Wall Street Journal. RetrievedSeptember 28, 2015.
  3. ^abWang, Christine (March 14, 2018)."Disney announces strategic reorganization, effective immediately".CNBC. RetrievedMarch 14, 2018.
  4. ^Givens, Bill (Spring 1990)."The Mouse & The Frog".Animation Magazine. RetrievedFebruary 20, 2013.
  5. ^Swansburg, John (December 6, 2013)."Muppet Man".The New York Times. RetrievedSeptember 28, 2015.
  6. ^Burr, Ty (May 16, 1997)."The Death of Jim Henson".Entertainment Weekly. RetrievedFebruary 7, 2012.
  7. ^Willman, David (July 26, 1992)."Jim Henson's Children Put Together a String of Big Deals to Keep Alive".The Los Angeles Times. RetrievedOctober 18, 2010.
  8. ^abGoldberg, Lesley (April 3, 2015)."'Muppets' Revived at ABC With 'Big Bang Theory' Co-Creator".The Hollywood Reporter. RetrievedApril 6, 2015.
  9. ^abcdefgBarnes, Brooks (September 18, 2008)."Fuzzy Renaissance".The New York Times. RetrievedDecember 29, 2012.
  10. ^abMasters, Kim (October 20, 2011)."Kermit as Mogul, Farting Fozzie Bear: How Disney's Muppets Movie Has Purists Rattled".The Hollywood Reporter. pp. 3 of 4. RetrievedAugust 20, 2013.
  11. ^"The Nick & Jessica Variety Hour (2004) - IMDb" – via www.imdb.com.[unreliable source?]
  12. ^abcdefghiJim, Hill (April 29, 2007)."Monday MouseWatch : Will the third time be the charm with Disney's Muppet revival project?".jimhillmedia.com. RetrievedFebruary 20, 2013.
  13. ^abc"Disney's plan to relaunch the Muppets".Muppet Central.com. AP. May 19, 2005. RetrievedFebruary 20, 2013.
  14. ^Cave, Steve."THE MUPPETS GET A TASTE OF THE X GAMES".About Sports. About.com. RetrievedFebruary 24, 2015.
  15. ^abCrosby, Sherry Joe (November 25, 2013)."When a Bear Comes to Breakfast".Daily News. Los Angeles, CA: HighBeam Research. Archived fromthe original on June 10, 2014. RetrievedFebruary 24, 2015.
  16. ^abSuddath, Claire (September 17, 2015)."Meep Meep TV".Bloomberg Businessweek. RetrievedSeptember 29, 2015.
  17. ^Schneider, Michael (October 25, 2005)."Muppets pull strings at ABC". Variety. RetrievedSeptember 24, 2007.
  18. ^"'Muppets' may return to primetime TV".USA Today. AP. October 25, 2005. RetrievedFebruary 24, 2015.
  19. ^James, Alison (September 17, 2006)."Les Muppets on a French roll". Variety. RetrievedNovember 25, 2013.
  20. ^Cox, Gordon (June 11, 2013)."Disney Theatrical Eyeing Muppets On Stage".Variety. RetrievedJune 12, 2013.
  21. ^"Kyle Laughlin".disneyconsumerproducts.com. Disney Consumer Products. Archived fromthe original on September 29, 2015. RetrievedSeptember 29, 2015.
  22. ^abKelley, Seth (March 17, 2015)."Kermit Talks to Kids in Disney Junior's 'Muppet Moments'".Variety. RetrievedMarch 19, 2015.
  23. ^abcdeGoldberg, Lesley (September 10, 2019)."'The Muppets' Disney+ Comedy Series Scrapped".The Hollywood Reporter. RetrievedSeptember 10, 2019.
  24. ^Schwartz, Dana (January 25, 2018)."Meet the new Muppet Baby! A first look at Summer the penguin".Entertainment Weekly.
  25. ^Goldberg, Lesley (February 21, 2018)."Disney Planning Another 'Muppets' Reboot for Its Streaming Service".The Hollywood Reporter. RetrievedMarch 9, 2018.
  26. ^Jarvey, Natalie (January 19, 2018)."BAMTech Taps Apple Veteran to Lead Disney OTT".The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. RetrievedMarch 9, 2018.
  27. ^Coggan, Devan (May 20, 2020)."Disney+ will get Muppetational with new Muppets Now series in July". entertainment weekly. RetrievedNovember 12, 2020.
  28. ^Rosario, Alexandra Del (May 7, 2021)."'Muppets Haunted Mansion': Disney+ Sets First-Ever Muppets Halloween Special Event".Deadline. RetrievedSeptember 23, 2025.
  29. ^Zachary (December 12, 2022)."Disney Wins 16 Children's & Family Emmy® Awards".The Walt Disney Company. RetrievedSeptember 23, 2025.
  30. ^Goldberg, Lesley (March 7, 2022)."'Muppets Mayhem' Series a Go at Disney+".The Hollywood Reporter. RetrievedSeptember 23, 2025.
  31. ^Swift, Andy (November 21, 2023)."The Muppets Mayhem Cancelled at Disney+ After One Season".TVLine. RetrievedSeptember 23, 2025.
  32. ^Andreeva, Nellie (September 17, 2025)."'The Muppet Show' Returns With Disney+ Special Produced By Seth Rogen & Guest Star Sabrina Carpenter; Will Serve As Backdoor Pilot".Deadline. RetrievedSeptember 23, 2025.
  33. ^Maglio, Beatrice Verhoeven,Tony (September 17, 2025)."Seth Rogen Revives 'The Muppet Show' as a Disney+ Special Starring Sabrina Carpenter".The Hollywood Reporter. RetrievedSeptember 23, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  34. ^Spangler, Todd (May 4, 2015)."The Muppets Take YouTube in Video Mashups".Variety. RetrievedMay 4, 2015.
  35. ^Itzkoff, Dave (July 28, 2020)."It's Time to Re-Re-Re-Meet the Muppets".The New York Times. RetrievedJuly 28, 2020.
  36. ^Hay, Hayli (February 17, 2004)."The Walt Disney Company And The Jim Henson Company Sign Agreement For Disney To Buy The "Muppets" And "Bear In The Big Blue House"".The Walt Disney Company. RetrievedOctober 8, 2025.
  37. ^(July 25, 2008)Miley Cyrus meets the Muppets in Disney Channel special. Variety. Variety Media, LLC.
  38. ^Wagmeister, Elizabeth (May 7, 2015)."'The Muppets,' Comedy from 'Community' Star Ken Jeong Among ABC Orders".Variety. RetrievedMay 7, 2015.
  39. ^Holloway, Daniel (October 26, 2016)."'Muppet Babies' Reboot Begins Production at Disney Junior". Variety. RetrievedOctober 26, 2016.
  40. ^Goldberg, Lesley (August 23, 2019)."'Muppets' Shortform Series a Go at Disney+".The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. RetrievedAugust 24, 2019.
  41. ^Slaughter, Leigh (March 7, 2022)."New Series 'The Muppets Mayhem' Starring The Electric Mayhem Band Coming to Disney+".Disney Parks Blog. Archived fromthe original on March 8, 2022.
  42. ^Graser, Marc (December 6, 2013)."Watch: The Muppets Star in New Series of 'Muppisodes'".Variety. RetrievedDecember 8, 2013.
  43. ^Graser, Marc (August 1, 2014)."Disney Launches The Muppets Digital Series".Variety. RetrievedFebruary 25, 2015.
  44. ^Evangelista, Chris (March 4, 2018)."'Muppet Babies' Clip: Get Ready For An Abundance Of Singing".SlashFilm. RetrievedOctober 9, 2025.
  45. ^"They're not just animated anymore! See the new Muppet Babies as actual Muppets".EW.com. RetrievedOctober 9, 2025.
  46. ^Grow, Kory. (October 18, 2013)Lady Gaga to Celebrate Thanksgiving With the Muppets. Rolling Stone (Wenner Media).
  47. ^Del Rosario, Alexandra (May 7, 2021)."'Muppets Haunted Mansion': Disney+ Sets First-Ever Muppets Halloween Special Event".Deadline Hollywood. RetrievedMay 7, 2021.
  48. ^Maglio, Beatrice Verhoeven,Tony (September 17, 2025)."Seth Rogen Revives 'The Muppet Show' as a Disney+ Special Starring Sabrina Carpenter".The Hollywood Reporter. RetrievedSeptember 17, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  49. ^Andreeva, Nellie (September 17, 2025)."'The Muppet Show' Returns With Disney+ Special Produced By Seth Rogen & Guest Star Sabrina Carpenter; Will Serve As Backdoor Pilot".Deadline. RetrievedSeptember 17, 2025.
  50. ^"This Day in Disney History: Muppet*Vision 3-D Celebrates 20 Years of Fun".Disney Parks Blog. Archived fromthe original on March 4, 2016. RetrievedOctober 9, 2025.
  51. ^Roseboom, Matt (July 15, 2016)."Pizza Planet to become a Muppets-themed restaurant at Disney's Hollywood Studios".Attractions Magazine. RetrievedOctober 9, 2025.
  52. ^Deitchman, Beth (October 3, 2016)."The Muppets Make History at Magic Kingdom Park". Disney D23. RetrievedOctober 8, 2016.
  53. ^Maura (August 21, 2025)."Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets: What to Expect".Disney Parks Blog. RetrievedOctober 8, 2025.
  54. ^Maura (October 8, 2025)."First Look: New and Updated Audio-Animatronics at Disney World".Disney Parks Blog. RetrievedOctober 8, 2025.

External links

[edit]
Characters
Television
Series
Segments
Specials
Films
Theatrical
Television
Direct-to-
video
Music
Albums
Songs
Web series
Video games
Other media
Related
Company
officials
Key
Board of
directors
Entertainment
Studios
Television
Disney Branded
Television
ABC Entertainment
National Geographic
Global Networks
Other networks
Production studios
Other units
Streaming
Distribution
ABC TV Stations
International
Other assets
Experiences
Parks and
resorts
Experiences
Consumer
Products
ESPN Inc.(80%)
Other assets
Former/defunct
units and
predecessors
Related
Disney Parks
Disneyland Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Tokyo Disney Resort
(Oriental Land Co. licensee)
Disneyland Paris
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort
Shanghai Disney Resort
Future


Signature
Experiences
Disney Cruise Line
Disney Vacation Club
Disney
Consumer Products
Disney Publishing Worldwide
Games & Interactive Experiences
Other
Cancelled
and former parks
Henson family
Major works
Theatrical
films
TV series
TV specials
Other
projects
Henson
Alternative
Divisions
Related
†Sold toThe Walt Disney Company in 2004,‡Muppet characters only; sold toSesame Workshop in 2000
Authority control databasesEdit this at Wikidata
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Muppets_Studio&oldid=1321409809"
Categories:
Hidden categories:
[8]ページ先頭
©2009-2025 Movatter.jp