Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore — Jim Henson, ‘Shang-Chi’, and Walt Disney World 50th Starts
Originally published on September 30, 2021.
Welcome back to Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore! In this month’s newsletter, we will have three topics. We will be celebrating Jim Henson’s birthday which was on September 24 along with examing Disney and the current day Muppets, diving into how Shang-Chi might’ve saved the box office for 2021, and the kickoff to Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary. All that plus a ton of Links of the Month in this edition of Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore!
Jim Henson, Disney, and Current Day Muppets
On September 24, 2021, it was Jim Henson’s 85th birthday. Fans of Henson’s work gathered to discussed his extraordinary impact on the world. The creator of Sesame Street, The Muppets, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Fraggle Rock, and so much more. Late in his life, Henson was on the verge of selling his company to Disney. This would have lead to an amazing collaboration that we were sadly robbed of. One aspect of the collaboration did come to fruition with Muppet Vision 3D.
Fast forward many years later. The Muppets are approaching almost 10 years with The Walt Disney Company (anniversary would be in 2024, which weirdly feels right around the corner). The relationship has had its ups and its downs but that’s another article.
In today’s newsletter, I just want to examine The Muppets as they currently stand in the Disney+ era.
After, Muppets Now which didn’t hit the right notes in my opinion. It seems like a brand-new logo for The Muppets Studio may signal a better direction. The Muppets' next project is Muppets Haunted Mansion which looks extremely promising on all fronts.
If The Muppets are going to be under Walt Disney Imagineering you should make the most of it. This is a wonderful blend of circumstances too. The Muppets should always be doing holiday specials. They didn’t have a Halloween special. Haunted Mansion is a popular Disney Parks property. It’s a perfect scenario. It’s also a relatively low-risk project because it isn’t a big-budget film or television series.
And despite this perfect scenario with Muppets Haunted Mansion. Clouds still hover Disney’s The Muppet Studios…
Frank Oz, who was Henson’s right-hand man and one of the founding Muppet performers, gave an excellent interview to Hadley Freeman of The Guardian. Oz was candid and honest about The Muppets under Disney. He provided heartbreaking quotes. Let’s look at a few.
“demarcation line between the Jim Henson Muppets and the Disney Muppets”
“There’s an inability for corporate America to understand the value of something they bought. They never understood, with us, it’s not just about the puppets, it’s about the performers who love each other and have worked together for many years.”
“I’d love to do the Muppets again but Disney doesn’t want me, and Sesame Street hasn’t asked me for 10 years. They don’t want me because I won’t follow orders and I won’t do the kind of Muppets they believe in,”
“The soul’s not there. The soul is what makes things grow and be funny. But I miss them and love them.”
Disney no longer wants him. And that’s really a shame. Oz is a legend. He’s 77. If he wants to do a Muppets project he should be able to do one. No questions asked. Honestly, it would be a welcomed change. In 2006, Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook offered Oz to do a Muppets film called The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made. Instead of the Oz film, we ended up getting Jason Segel’s script.
Even though Muppets Haunted Mansion looks promising. You just have to wonder why Disney has fumbled so badly with The Muppets Studio. You look at the Frank Oz situation and just wonder why would they reject something that would be a no-brainer. When it comes to Disney/Muppets there is a lot of What Ifs? And that seems to be the theme right now so I end this topic on this.
What if Disney asked Frank Oz back to do a Muppets project?
Shang-Chi Might’ve Saved Box Office for 2021
Shang-Chi is responsible for this fall/winter slate of theatrical exclusive films. We can thank Shang-Chi’s performance for Disney keeping the rest of 2021 exclusive to theaters. Shang-Chi’s direct-to-theaters only strategy was ripped apart by a ton of people. People thought the film would flop and that theatergoers would be scared off by COVID-19. The exact opposite happened as Shang-Chi was successful and even surpassed Black Widow.
Granted, Black Widow also was pirated because of it being on Disney+ Premier Access. But Shang-Chi did prove Marvel films make more sense in theaters and that people will go.
Shang-Chi is now the highest-grossing film domestically in 2021 with $198 million. The film is inching closer and closer to passing $200 million domestically. Overall, Shang-Chi has made $366 million worldwide. I believe if we were in a better place and without COVID/streaming hoopla, Shang-Chi would’ve easily crossed the $500 million worldwide mark.
Shang-Chi’s performance gave other studios confidence in staying firm for the rest of 2021. (This could end up aging badly but oh well). Examples so far are Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, No Time to Die, Eternals, and Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Also, people think it’s bad of Disney for making their entire slate theatrical exclusive and not allowing people to have the choice between streaming at home or going out.
When have corporations ever made things easier on their consumers?
They only give choices when it's beneficial to them. And it’s clear that Disney finds theatrical as its most successful path. That isn’t to say they won’t utilize direct-to-Disney+ and direct-to-Disney+ Premier Access in the future though.
One final note on Shang-Chi and its success. Another film is coming out in October called Dune (it will be in theaters and on HBO Max). The director Denis Villeneuve came out against Marvel films. Which that’s fine, the man is entitled to his opinion. But if I’m Warner Bros. I would be a little weary if he continues.
After all, Warner Bros. wants Dune to be a Marvel-level success and produce spinoff films and HBO Max series. Dune is already facing an uphill battle with the day-and-date approach, and add in Denis insulting the most popular and successful movie franchise in the world and that’s not a good formula for success.
Also, after watching trailers for Dune the film looks like it’s made for that Marvel (general) audience. The same audience that the director called “zombies.”
Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Starts
On October 1, Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary will start. Over the next 18-months of celebration, we will see openings like Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and more.
I’m also expecting we will be getting more announcements at Destination D23 at Walt Disney World. But the 50th looks to be loaded with fun and with things increasingly getting back to normal I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more surprises around every corner.
Remember this will last 18-months after all. But for now, it looks like Disney is content with new food and merch offerings, the promise of new attractions, and new nighttime spectaculars to help get stellar crowds for the 50th anniversary.
We will be discussing the Walt Disney World 50th anniversary more at length in next month’s Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore newsletter.
LINKS OF THE MONTH
— D23 Expo tickets go on sale on January 20, 2022.
— Substack is targeting top Marvel and DC Comics writers. But the real question is when does Substack target Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore? *eyeball emoji* (The Hollywood Reporter)
— The 7 powerful Disney execs Disney CEO Bob Chapek trusts most as he reshapes Disney (Business Insider)
— After experiencing Web Slingers at Avengers Campus in August. I write a piece that gives my thoughts on the attraction, what it could do better, and its future. (Boardwalk Times)
— Disney is exploring kid-friendly NFL game telecasts on ESPN that would incorporate Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar characters. (Front Office Sports)
— Meow Wolf opened Convergence Station this month, and this piece takes a look at what’s next for the immersive art experience company. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
— A fascinating article about body inclusivity in theme parks featuring quotes from Disney Dan and Kevin Perjurer of Defunctland. (Yahoo)
— Universal Beijing Resort opened this month. (Blooloop)
— Gary Marsh leaves the executive ranks at Disney to start his own production company. Marsh already has several Disney projects in the works like Tink, two new Descendants movies, Witch Mountain, School for Sensitive Souls, and The Beauty and the Beast Disney+ series. (Deadline)
— Disney+ Day will be November 12, and Boardwalk Times will be providing coverage. (Boardwalk Times)
— Marvel is suing to keep the rights to certain Avengers characters. A messy situation that I’m sure the Mouse will take care of. (The Hollywood Reporter)
— A story about the employees who joined Walt Disney World in 1971 and never left. (ABC News)
Yes, I am still writing some articles about my trip to Disneyland. That trip did give me some great content ideas. Tomorrow is the kickoff of Walt Disney World’s 50th-anniversary celebration, and these next 18 months will be exciting for both Walt Disney World and Boardwalk Times.
See you next month for a new edition of Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore!