Since 2004, The Muppets as created by Jim Henson, have been a part of The Walt Disney Company. Prior to and after, The Muppets have appeared in Disney Parks and released a few films but had never fully crossed over into the Disney-connected universe. That's all set to change with the announced first-ever Muppet Halloween Special, Muppets Haunted Halloween, set to premiere in October on Disney+.
Any franchise that survives enough time to entertain multiple generations goes through a fandom divide: The Purists, The Next Generation and The Apologists. The Purists were with the property from the beginning and believe it was the best the series ever was. These are the fans of the Shatner Star Trek or The Muppets when they were Jim Henson’s brainchild in The Muppet Show in the 70’s. The Next Generation picked up the property in its older, evolved form. Fans of The Simpsons season 2 to season 10 fall into this category as do the Muppet fans who hold A Muppet Christmas Carol or Muppets From Space as their favorites or at least true to form. Then there are The Apologists. The Apologists either came in late or are so invested, the franchise can do anything as long as it keeps its core. An Apologist loves the new She-Ra series or has strong opinions for Deep Space Nine. For The Muppets, the Apologists are gonna be psyched that The Muppets are doing the Muppets Haunted Mansion.
There’s been a growing divide among Disney true and circumstantial fans over the decades as Disney has successfully bought out IPs such as Star Wars and Marvel. On the one hand, Disney provided a platform to continue the stories of these other IPs in ways they may never have been afforded. On the other, being bought by Disney means becoming Disney. The parks are the strongest example, and the battleground of this divide. Though originally the parks were meant to just be amusement parks, the expansion of the company included the inclusion of any character and any property owned by the company leading to the controversial addition of a Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and the entire “land” of Star Wars.
While this move meant updating the parks with some of the best animatronics and ride systems in development, Disney Purists were disturbed by “Walt’s” original vision becoming a marketing scheme with a quick expiration date while specific IP Purists, more often Star Wars Purists, were concerned with their favorite characters becoming “Disney-fied”. Which the last point seems salient as it is pretty weird for a family of four from Wisconsin to be able to take a selfie with a Disneyland cast member dressed as space genocidal murderer Darth Vader.
The Muppets have always lived in a difficult place of reverence for every stage of the fandom. Jim Henson has long held a place of honor and love in people’s hearts from those who grew up with his work to those who worked alongside him. He’s often described for his rare and unique sense of creativity and kindness exemplified in puppet characters that never talked down or were dumbed down while being relatable to children and adults alike.
His sudden death in 1990 rocked a generation that wrapped The Muppets in a protective blanket. A Disney/Henson merger had already been in the works to include Muppet characters in the parks and would go through. However, though subsequent Muppet films and other works were never bombs, most would say without Jim Henson helming the company that The Muppets lost a little something. Maybe it was the dry wit, maybe it was just different, but from Jim Henson’s death in 1990 and The Muppet’s appearance in Disney parks a year later to the full Disney acquisition in 2004 only a handful of films (The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island and Muppets From Space) and a short-lived series Muppets Tonight would be produced to little attention and lower ratings.
The Muppets, the 2011 Jason Segel penned attempt at a “creative” reboot, began The Apologists phase. Reboots very rarely work for established series that have never taken a formal “break” in their production and The Muppets is no exception. Despite being well-written, performed and generally well-received, The Muppets didn’t become the true jumping-off point for another wave of Muppet love (and its sequel, Muppets Most Wanted, surely didn’t help).
In a way, The Muppets encapsulated the fears Purists had on Disney’s IP buyouts in general. The Muppets focused on a new character along with two humans rather than following the beloved OG crew of Kermit and co. Instead Kermit, Miss Piggy, Rowlf, Gonzo, Fozzie et all were almost side characters with their paths chosen for them, flying in the face of the core of the arguably best and most beloved Muppet movie, The Muppet Movie (1979).
Regardless, the box office and review success of The Muppets led to a greater investment on Disney’s behalf in Muppet properties. While nothing, from the sequel to the Office-style series, has lasted the fandom has shown it will stick with it (apologizing as they go). But a film where the Muppets crossover into an abjectly Disney creation may be the full step from Jim Henson. To this point, while the Muppets have been in parks and shown up for other Disney needs, Miss Piggy didn’t appear in Wreck-It Ralph nor did Gonzo crash into Lilo and Stitch the Series. Like Star Wars and Marvel (for now), the Muppets still remained in their own world. The Haunted Mansion, from the queue up, is a Walt Disney creation with its own film, its own lore and its own characters that do appear anywhere a within Disney property. And so the Muppets Haunted Mansion opens a very tricky door
The Muppets, since Jim Henson’s death, have been searching for that lost piece of the equation: how to balance imagination with reality. Jim Henson could do it after devoting his entire life and mind to it. Each company that’s attempted to emulate what he learned through experience has gotten the balance wrong. It either becomes too irreverent (Gonzo is a “whatever” not an alien) or too real (who asked to watch Kermit and Miss Piggy fully experience separation?). But with full Disney immersion, there’s a whole other direction. Straight Disney. And everything that implies.