cover story
JOHN E. BARRE T T
JOHN E. BARRE T T
Jason Segel and a
band of fans make
Muppet movie magic
by Stephanie E. Ponder
THE MUPPETS’ ETHOS has always been that anything is possible—
whether it was putting on a show each week in the original Muppet
Show TV series or making it to Hollywood in The Muppet Movie
(1979). Having grown up a Muppets fan, actor Jason Segel, a Costco
member, borrowed a page from the Muppet playbook and set out to
make a movie to introduce Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and the
rest of the gang to today’s children.
Segel and co-writer Nicholas Stoller pitched the idea to Disney,
and the result is The Muppets. In the film, Walter, the newest Muppet,
travels to Los Angeles with his brother, Gary, played by Segel, and
Gary’s sweetheart, Mary (Amy Adams). Once there, Walter learns of
Tex Richman’s (Chris Cooper) plans to tear down the old Muppet theater. In true Muppet style the gang bands together—not without a few
songs and even more celebrity cameos—to save the day.
The Connection recently sat down with the movie’s director, James
Bobin, star and co-writer Jason Segel, porcine actress Miss Piggy and
rising star Walter to talk about fulfilling dreams, being back in the
spotlight and much more.
