The Muppet Christmas Carol Was Born Out Of An Incredible Tragedy

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The Muppet Christmas Carol is one of the maximum liked motion pictures in the franchise. While each and every of the Muppet films has its moments, the 1992 film has a consistent allure about it that audiences and critics alike ate up. No doubt, the Brian Henson-directed movie is a some distance cry from the canceled ABC Muppets show and the Disney show with that very peculiar Kermit the Frog voice. But The Muppet Christmas Carol did sign a notable transition in the collection.

Prior to the film's free up, each Muppet film and display had the magic touch of writer Jim Henson. While Henson originally wanted the Muppets to be rated R, he discovered a solution to create a mission that resonated with target audience individuals of every age. Reaching continuing lofty function was one of the most daunting tasks in the palms of the ones left in price following Henson's tragic passing in 1990. Fortunately, they managed to knock it out of the park with The Muppet Christmas Carol.

The Sad Origin Of The Muppet Christmas Carol

Jim Henson's passing changed everything for The Muppet franchise. Following his surprising death at the fingers of severe pneumonia, the franchise he created fell to his son, Brian Henson, who, in keeping with a fantastic oral history by The Independent, gathered his father's crew together to figure out a plan of action.

"It was all very risky. Even my dad wasn’t sure what to do next with the Muppets," Brian Henson, who ended up directing The Muppet Christmas Carol, mentioned to The Independent.

"When he died, he was selling the company to Disney and his big thing was that he was going to do Muppet attractions at Disney World. He was getting very excited about that because I think he was unsure where to go next with the movies. They were tough because you’re trying to tell an original story but with each movie, it was getting a little bit tricky. How do you let these characters be fresh? You fall into ruts," Brian continued.

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During his interview with The Independent, Dave Goelz, the man at the back of the liked character of Gonzo, revealed that everyone else concerned merely couldn't understand how the franchise may move forward.

"We were utterly shocked when Jim passed away. He looked frail, he was thin and almost looked gaunt sometimes but he was stronger than any of us," Dave Goelz stated to The Independent. "He could outpace anybody and work harder than everybody else, so the idea that he could succumb to something was the furthest thing from our minds. We just couldn’t imagine it. Going forward, we collectively decided that we would try to see if we could keep doing this – and [The Muppet Christmas Carol] was our first major project after that decision."

How The Muppet Christmas Carol Became A Serious Film

Originally, The Muppet Christmas Carol was actually intended to be a parody. Everything was meant to be a comic story, not not like the other Muppets movies. Sure, they all had heart, but there were in the long run comedies.

However, as director Brian Henson and creator Jerry Juhl were writing, they discovered that the subject material, which was in line with the classic via Charles Dickens, was a long way too good to be parodied. This marked the first time The Muppets delved directly into the drama style.

"It was really Jerry [Juhl, writer] saying, 'We can’t parody this. It’s too good. We just have to do it – and I think we can do it better than anyone.'" Brian Henson mentioned to The Independent.

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"[We] really wanted to do this film because of what it said about humanity. Luckily, Brian and his siblings were willing to go ahead and try – and I’m so glad we did," Dave Goelz explained to The Independent.

"I think his script is around 98 percent Dickens prose. Almost never does he veer from it. 98 percent is probably too high… but it’s mostly Dickens’ prose," Brian Henson added.

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Brian Henson went on to mention that the concept "liberated" them creatively as they may literally drop their great characters into any story and make it recent.

"It allowed what had been baggage, making it hard for my dad to keep making Muppet movies, to become a plus too. It also made it an exciting way to go," Henson said to The Independent.

The Muppet Christmas Carol went on the be gained undoubtedly regardless of some criticism about it now not having sufficient of the typical Muppet's shtick. It made over double its budget at the field place of work and went on to become a cult vintage that fanatics revel in each vacation season.

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