The Muppets in Narnia Special is Coming! (April Fools!)

The Muppets in Narnia
The Muppets in Narnia title card

Fans of Narnia won’t have to wait to long for another Narnia related flick, but this time, CS Lewis’ beloved fantasy world is going to be visited by Jim Henson’s lovable bunch of weirdos The Muppets! Hot off their success from last Christmas’s big screen revival, The Muppets are slated to be featured in a brand new 2 hour special called The Muppets in Narnia!

The Muppets in Narnia follows in the traditions of The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, The Muppet’s Wizard of Oz, and the forgotten classics Hey, Cinderella!, The Frog Prince, and Muppet Classic Theater. The special will be written and directed by legendary Muppetman Frank Oz, and  is personally coming out of retirement to work on this special project. Fans may not know that back in the late 80s and early 90s Jim Henson’s company was interested in adapting Narnia and had even created original puppets or “creatures” for the production.  Based on what I’ve seen from Henson’s work on The Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal and The Storyteller Series, I have no doubt we would have been in for something special. Now at last we will get to see some of that hard work, complete with a story based on an unused script written by the late Jim Henson himself.

The special will not adapt a book, but rather will “borrow” from a variety of Narnia stories and attempt to tell its own original tale. The story will center around Scooter, Walter,   and their new friends Susan and Lucy.  Lucy is sent by Kermit the Frog to go get some props for a sketch they are working on for The Muppet Show from a strange Wardrobe in the back of the theater. The Wardrobe leads her to the land of Narnia. She returns and no one believes her.

Scooter and Walter go in search of answers to this phenomenon, one that even stumps Beaker and Benson Honeydoo.   They go and visit Scooter’s often referenced but never before seen uncle, a professor by the name of Digory Kirke. The professor tells them not only could Lucy’s story be true, he experienced something like this himself. As a boy he and his friend Polly traveled by magic rings, created by his uncles, Andrew and Jacob Ketterley ( Statler and Waldorf). The rings took them to strange worlds, including one called Narnia.

Later, during an Earthquake drill, the four go hide in the wardrobe. They then find themselves in the land of Narnia and their adventure begins as they join Aslan to help free Narnia from the reign of The White Witch, played by Miss Piggy. Other Muppet characters slated to appear include Fozzie Bear plays the bulgy bear who keeps sucking his paw, Rizzo the Rat as Reepicheep, Sam the Eagle plays Farsight, Sweetums as giant Rumblebuffin, Gonzo the Great plays Puddleglum, Rolf the Dog as Maugrim, Uncle Deadly as Tash, and Animal as Animal.

Fans needn’t worry about Aslan. Much as Muppet Christmas Carol used original creatures for the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, Muppets in Narnia will use an original Muppet for Aslan. In fact they plan to use the unused Aslan puppet that was designed by the Henson company. From the sounds of it, it’ll be like nothing we have ever seen before, and will even put the puppet used in the BBC version to shame.

As is tradition with a Muppet feature, several big named stars are joining the fun. Jennifer Lawrence ( X-Men: First Class, The Hunger Games)  and Elle Fanning (Super 8) will join the Muppets Scooter and Walter as Susan and Lucy respectively.  Muppet Chrismas Carol alum Sir Michael Caine (Alfred in the Chris Nolan Batman trilogy ) plays Professor Digory Kirke, with Freddie Highmore ( Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)  as the younger Digory with Chloë Grace Moretz ( Hugo)as Polly .  Sir Patrick Stewart is rumored to be voicing Aslan, and James MacAvoy is not only slated to be playing himself as the “very special guest” on the Muppet show, but will also reprise his roll as Tumnus the Faun. When asked why MacAvoy said, “You mean besides the fact I have a contract for at least two more films? I mean, c’mon, It’s the Muppets! And Narnia! How could I say no?”

Featuring original music by Paul Williams (The Muppet Movie and The Muppet Christmas Carol) and David Bowie( Jim Henson’s The Labyrinth) The Muppets in Narnia is sure to be a pleaser.  Look for the special airing on ABC on December 21st 2012.

Watch the first trailer here!

 

UPDATE:  APRIL FOOLS! AHHHH Wocka, Wocka!

29 Comments

  1. Statler: Hey! Look, The Muppets are doing another literary adaptation!

    Waldorf:Great. Another excuse for kids to not read the book.

    Both: DO-HO-Ho-HO-HO!

    • Yeah it’s a prank I fell for it. You gotta admit that is a cool concept though

      • ONLY if it was more “Muppet’s Christmas Carol” and less “Muppet’s wizard of Oz” *shudder*

  2. I would definitely pay to see A Muppets Narnia movie; I burst out laughing at the thought of Miss Piggy as the White Witch.

  3. Miss Piggy as the White Witch and Fozzie Bear as the paw-sucking bulgy bear = best casting ever.

    {I don’t visit Narnia Fans as much as I used to, but I always make it a point to come on April 1st. Thanks for making me smile.}

    • Indeed, I tried to think up a big actress to play the White Witch, but knowing the Muppets as I do, I know that the charcter of Miss Piggy would never allow it. AS for Fozzie, also simple, all the videos of poor nervous Fozzie sucking his paw when he’s heckled.

      Thanks! Glad we could make you smile.

  4. I would love this… I hope it’s not an April Fool’s Joke…. if it is then the idea should be pitched and created anyways!

  5. LOOL I knew that as soon as I’d come on Narniafans today I’d see April Fools jokes. What made it worse is that we haven’t had news for a couple weeks, and we JUST happen to have TWO news posts on the day of April Fools ><

  6. I knew at once that this was a joke, but I must say, this would be brilliant. x)

  7. This is seriously epic. Especially with David Bowie! You left no details out!

    “You mean besides the fact I have a contract for at least two more films?” hahahahahahaha!

    Rizzo as Reep. Gonzo as Puddleglum. Rolf as Maugrim… I can just picture Miss Piggy summoning him and Rolf lumbering into the palace room. “Long live the Queen. Bark!” And Patrick Stewart voicing Aslan! LOL I love this.

    • Thank you! I aimed to please.

      YOu know, I had the same reaction when I wrote that.

      Rizzo and Gonzo were the easy choices ( especailly Gonzo with his nose.) Initially I had Animal as Maugrim but I realized, no that would never work, he can’t speak full sentences.Yes, it would be funny, but I want it to be semi-plausible.

      As for Patrick Stewart itw as a matter of thinking of what other British actor has as much of a dignified and authoritative voice as Liam Neeson, and that was the man best known for Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Plus he read the audio book for The Last Battle.

  8. :(:(:(:(:(:(

    Yeaah…. Totally forgot it was April Fool’s. Now I’m really sad. 😛

  9. Even though everyone seems to love the idea (knowing it’s april’s fools) I would rather be dead if anything like that ever happens haha I hate those Muppets!

  10. Is this true……….I’m a great fan of narnia……..so if it is true……..i would be the happiest person……but unluckily i think its a bad joke….

  11. Darn. You guys should have told me this before I post the news on Facebook.

    April fools! I didn’t 🙂

  12. awwww.I totally fell for it. I was so excited that Jennifer Lawrence was “going to be in it”! I really wish they would make this movie!!!!

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