Tales From The Set Of Disney’s Muppets Most Wanted! #MuppetsMostWanted

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Hey All!

It was almost a year ago when I got the fabulous opportunity to visit the set of upcoming Disney Muppets film Muppets Most Wanted. I can remember that dream come true night like it was yesterday. As most of you know, I have a long standing obsession with The Muppets. I’ve loved them since I was a child and I’m going as far as having a Muppet themed wedding in May. Yes it’s a deep nerdy obsession I have and will probably always have. I’ve been counting the day until I could finally share may excitement over this new movie and I’m thankful that day has finally come.

If you haven’t heard about this movie, it takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europeā€™s most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid, Dublin and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantineā€”the Worldā€™s Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit the Frogā€”and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two, portrayed by Ricky Gervais. The film stars Ty Burrell as Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon, and Tina Fey as Nadya, a feisty prison guard.

ā€œItā€™s an old-style caper movie,ā€ says director James Bobin (Disneyā€™s ā€œThe Muppets,ā€ ā€œFlight of the Conchordsā€). ā€œMuppet movies often have very classic movie tropes, and the evil doppelgangerā€”a bad-guy, evil-frog, Kermit-the-Frog look-alikeā€”seemed like such a fun premise for the Muppetsā€™ next film.ā€

It also has a cameo from the amazing Tom Hiddleston aka Loki! I can’t wait to see him with the Muppets. This is surely going to be the movie of the year for me.

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On that fun filled night on Hollywood Blvd. the Muppets had closed down the street to shoot a spectacular scene from the new film. It was fantastic to see the Muppets work.

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Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Walter took time out of their busy shooting schedule to take pictures with us. I can’t tell you how thrilling it is to see the one and only Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog once again! It’s been far too long since the last Muppets Movie.

They were also kind enough to take some time to chat with us about the film. We first chatted with Walter.

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He discussed how his character has grown since we saw him in the last movie.

I do some pretty exciting stunts and I’m thrilled with my role in this film.Ā  Iā€™ve got this big, dramatic turn.Ā  You see where I make a discovery and I have to rescue Kermit and I jump from a moving train into another moving train going the opposite direction.Ā  I do a lot of stunts.

I had to know if he had another one of his famous whistling scenes in this new film.

No.Ā  Not really. I mean I do actually whistle in this movie, in the sequel, but itā€™s not really a thing. You know, you donā€™t wanna repeat yourself, right? You gotta let everyone see new stuff. I do whistle but not for very long or particularly impressive.Ā  No, thatā€™s true.Ā  Itā€™s good.Ā  Itā€™s just I do other things too.

I tried to press little Walter about some of the cameo appearances, but sadly he didn’t break.

Well, yeah. I’m not gonna tell, but, yes, yes.Ā  There are some, there are some surprising numbers.Ā  Even for a Muppet movie.Ā  I think, you know, the Muppets always have a certain number of surprise cameos and this movie has more than its fair share.Ā  Yeah, I think a few of them leaked out but none are gonna leak out of me.Ā  But Yes, definitely many, many cameos, lots of action, lots of music, lots of comedy.Ā  A lot of suspense.Ā  Did I mention I jump from a moving train?

We’ll just have to wait until the movie to find out what cameo surprises are in store!

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We next chatted with Miss Piggy. She was so fabulous and beyond funny to chat with.

Since we had just chatted with Walter we of course wanted to find out what her experience was like working with Walter. Miss Piggy’s response was priceless.

Ā Who?

Walter has said Miss Piggy didnā€™t know his name.

The coffee boy, yes.Ā  Yes, I suppose heā€™s all right. You know, he messes up my coffee order all the time but, you know, itā€™ll, itā€™ll do.

We inform her that he saves Kermit in this new film.

Really?Ā  He saves Kermit.Ā  What does he save Kermit from?Ā  Me?Ā  Is that what he said?Ā  It might be time to get a new coffee boy.

We then move on to the new villain Constantine as we wanted to know if Piggy was fooled by Constantine?

I’m sorry.Ā  First you mention this guy, Walter.Ā  I really donā€™t know who this Constantine character is.Ā  Who is that?

We inform her that he’s a Kermit look a like.

What? Youā€™re kidding me.Ā  Looks exactly like Kermit, huh?Ā  Two frogs. That could get interesting.

Could she handle two Kermits?

I could handle a whole dozen of them.Ā  But I donā€™t think they could handle one muai.

She was hilarious. Since the movie was set in Europe I wanted to know what Piggy’s favorite country to visit.

We shot the whole movie in a month.Ā  Yeah, I was toldĀ  this movie was going to take us all across Europe, to Paris, to Madrid, to Germany.Ā  I didnā€™t see anything outside of London.Ā  Donā€™t get me wrong.Ā  I love London.Ā  Love Londoners.Ā  Thatā€™s what you call people who live in London but it was, it was cold there.Ā  It was cold the whole time we shot and I think I would have loved going to Madrid for just a weekend.

I loved chatting with Miss Piggy. She is the one and only Queen of the Divas and I love it!

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Last but not least was the one and only Kermit the Frog. I LOVE Kermie. Here is just a hint as to how much I love Kermit. If you’ve been reading my blog for all these years, you would know I start each post with Hey All. I got the idea to start my posts that way because Kermit always would start his interviews with “Hi Ho Kermit the Frog here.” Instead of Hi Ho, I said Hey All sounds better for a nerd like me and I’ve been doing it ever since. Sorry I digress….

I just had to share that one behind the blogging scenes tidbit which showcases my Muppet love. Kermit was very gracious to chat with. We of course started the interview with his thoughts on his look-a-like Constantine.

His name is Constantine and heā€™s actually played by a friend of mine from the swamp.Ā  We are the same species of frog and he looks an awful lot like me only he has a mark right here like a mold and he speaks with a strange sort of Eastern European accent. Now I will tell you in real life heā€™s not that evil but in the movie heā€™s very evil, you know.

We then wanted to know how things are going with Miss Piggy?

Oh, itā€™s good, itā€™s good.Ā  We just did a movie together whichĀ  is great, you know.Ā  It’s always kind of an up when we do a film together.Ā  I think sheā€™s around tonight somewhere.

We had to address a rumor of a wedding gown with Kermit.

Yes, thatā€™s true, but Iā€™ll just say, I’m not gonna tell you the whole story of the movie, but it may not be what you think.

Since we chatted with Piggy about Walter we thought we should ask Kermit if he’s taken Walter on as a protĆ©gĆ©?

Well, you know, Walter is a great guy. Heā€™s a wonderful Muppet fan, you know, so I guess you could say that. Heā€™s got a place with the Muppets now. You know, he has to do more than whistle, you know.Ā  I mean he canā€™t just whistle so heā€™s finding his Muppet feet, sort of speak, you know, which is hard ā€˜cause many of the Muppets you really donā€™t see their feet.Ā  So I brought mine along today since you were all here today, but, you know.

And lastly the new in me had to know if there will be a crossover with Muppets and Star Wars?

Ā Thatā€™s very weird isnā€™t, you know.Ā  I love speaking in Yoda. I tried out for that part years ago! Right color, wrong ears.Ā  I donā€™t know.Ā  Thatā€™d be great, wouldnā€™t it?

We could only hope my nerd dreams come true.

Stay Tuned as Next Week I’ll share the rest of my on set experience and my chats with the Director, Costume Designer, and Producers of the film.Ā  There is a lot to share and this post is long enough I know.

For more info on the Muppets Most Wanted Like The Muppets on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Muppets

Follow The Muppets on Twitter: https://twitter.com/muppetsstudio

And Follow Miss Piggy on Twitter: @RealMissPiggy

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MUPPETS MOST WANTED opens in theaters on March 21, 2014!

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