Big Screen – The Muppets Panel Live Blog

Muppets!

This is the one we’ve been waiting for. There’s a live link up with New York to talk to James Bobin and Kermit the frog!

the crows is going wild. AMazing.

Kermit is charming the crowds – James Bobin is taking us through the plot – the discovery of the Muppet theatre in trouble!

JB is talking about the love of the Muppets and the link between the Muppets and the Conchords. Talking cookies are the link…

Ten years since Muppets in space – KtF was up for the role of The Incredible Hulk…

Now Fozzie Bear is here. That’s set the crowd alight.

He’s trying out a new joke. Why did the Chicken cross the web?

To get to the other site.

Best crowd reaction of the whole event so far….

Fozzie’s off now which is a shame, he did plead with JB to not cut him out of the film. KtF: He is Unbearable. Emphasis on the Bear. Big laughs even the bad jokes…

JB: It’s a dream working on The Muppets.

KtF: Bordering on a nightmare.After seeing Conchords we deduced that James was strange enough to work with us.

KtF: I do all my own stunts. It’s hard to find spindly green stuntmen…

Animal is now chasing a rabbit across the screen That was the biggest crowd reaction.

Back to the movie. Talking about the cast now – Jason Segel and AMy Adams.

JS is very tall. Kermit worked on apple boxes.

the question of cameos has popped up – JB: It’s in the tens! We have a lot of cameos. Pretty much everyone we asked said yes. Some are themselves, some are characters. There’s a lot of surprises.

WE’re apparently going to see a scene from the beginning of the film – just when the plan to destroy the Muppet theatre is discovered…

Walter, AA and JS are looking for Kermit – the only one who can save the theatre. approaching the huge house with gates which have Piggy and Kermit designs on them. This is the electric fence footage we’ve seen. Poor Walter is fried. And here he is – probably Kermit’s entrance – accompanied by a wonderful visual gag…

In Kermit’s house they are served by the robot called 80’s Robot. Genius. So many little gags. It’s a true Muppet film. The music, the jokes, the exposition. It’s bliss.

Kermit is singing. It;s captivating.

Walking through his house looking at the pictures of his Muppet past. It’s a genuinely beautiful summation of the Muppets as they are now – not around as much, but not forgotten. Some wonderful visual moments. I have no idea how they did it – this is a Muppet movie. The song, I’m guessing it’s called Pictures in my Head ,was pitch perfect. It’s playing with the nostalgia in a respectful and very fun way. This is genuinely moving. I can’t believe they’ve done it – from this alone it’s a must watch. There are tears all over the place – from just a small clip. It’s self referential but not smug. Charming without being mawkish. It’s the Muppets and it’s going to be a huge movie. Huge.

Kermit is talking about twitter – he doesn’t because he has no pockets.

Favourite person to work with – Kermit picks The Queen…

There’s a Q&A now – but while the question come in let me set the scene. It is easily the highlight of the entire event. The laughs are coming so thick and fast and so easily that any doubt people may not find it easy to connect with the Muppets has been dispelled. There’s more heart and fun in this panel and footage than all of the dozens of flashy trailers and polished footage.

Piggy is the subject of conversation – and she’s now on screen. Milking the applause.

She’s accepting her damehood. Something’s gone wrong clearly…

Chris Hewitt is now bestowing the Damehood on PIggy. That’s a career high then….

Piggy stomred off after finding out that the House of Lords was not a restaurant… And that’s it.

That’s it. Best moment of the weekend. Shame it’s such a long time to wait here in the UK…

Go and see The Muppets. Then go and see it again. They’ll make more if you do!