The Muppets ( 2011 ) The Muppets is ' seventh feature film , released in 2011 . The script was written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller , the writer - director team behind the 2008 film " Forgetting Sarah Marshall " ; and was directed by James Bobin , co - creator of the HBO series " Flight of the Conchords " . The film started production in September 2010 . Principal photography for " The Muppets " began on October 30 , 2010 and concluded on February 11 , 2011 . Theatrically , the film was accompanied by a new short film featuring Pixar ' s " Toy Story " characters . " The Muppets " is also the Muppets ' first Academy Award winning film , bringing home the trophy for Bret McKenzie ' s " Man or Muppet . " It is the highest grossing Muppet film , not accounting for inflation ( in today ' s dollars , " The Muppet Movie " holds this prize ) . The film was released on DVD and Blu - ray in the U . S . on March 20 , 2012 . Official Synopsis . " On vacation in Los Angeles , Walter , the world ' s biggest Muppet fan , and his friends Gary ( Jason Segel ) and Mary ( Amy Adams ) from Smalltown , USA discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman ( Chris Cooper ) to raze The Muppet Theatre and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets ' former stomping grounds . To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $ 10 - million needed to save the theater , Walter , Mary and Gary help Kermit the Frog reunite the Muppets , who have all gone their separate ways : Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called The Moopets , Miss Piggy is a plus - size fashion editor at Vogue Paris , Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management , and Gonzo is a high - powered plumbing magnate . With secret , signature , celebrity cameos , " The Muppets " hits the big screen November 23 , 2011 . " Songs . The film features several original musical numbers , plus some classic Muppet songs and covers of popular songs ( including those by Nirvana and Cee Lo Green ) . The film ' s soundtrack was released on November 21 , 2011 . Production . Development . It was working on " Forgetting Sarah Marshall " with Jim Henson ' s Creature Shop that initially inspired Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller to pitch the movie to Disney . In 2008 , Jason Segel and Nick Stoller pitched a concept for a Muppet movie to Disney Vice President Kristin Burr . The pitch was well received and the pair was offered a deal to develop their script . In March 2008 , Variety first reported that Disney signed a deal with Segel and Stoller to create the next Muppet movie ; with Segel and Stoller penning the script and Stoller attached to direct . Segel has been very outspoken on his involvement , mentioning his role writing for the Muppets in many interviews and appearances . Drafts of Segel and Stoller ' s script , originally entitled " The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time ! ! ! " circulated . According to early drafts of the screenplay , the film would include celebrity cameos by Vince Vaughn , Jon Favreau , Christian Bale , Ben Stiller , Steve Carell , George Clooney , Jack Black , Mel Brooks , Matt Damon , Anne Hathaway , Emily Blunt , Rachel Ray , Bob Saget , Lisa Lampenelli , Jeff Ross , and Charles Grodin . A cameo was also written for Elmo , but it was said it would ' ve been too expensive . In June 2008 , Segel said : " I just turned in my first draft of the Muppets and I ' m really excited about it . I think we ' re bringing them back . Hopefully it will fall right in the pantheon of " The Great Muppet Caper " , " Muppets Take Manhattan " , " Muppet Movie " , you know , we ' re trying to make one of those . " Stoller commented on the film in a 2008 interview : In his March 20 , 2009 appearance on " Late Night with Jimmy Fallon " , Jason Segel talked about his love for the Muppets , and his then - current work on the script for the next Muppet movie . Statler and Waldorf appeared in the audience to heckle Fallon and Segel . Early versions of the script described Gary and Walter as " a ventriloquist and his puppet who ' s alive and wants to be a Muppet . " Later versions described Walter as a nondescript , brown puppet . Said Jason Segel : " We also did have a great trick where at the end I wrote that Kermit is like , ' And I ’ m so happy that you guys liked our telethon . As a matter of fact , we ’ re going to relaunch The Muppet Show starting this fall on ABC . ' ABC was like , ' What are you talking about ? Take it easy , kid . ' " According to the Blu - ray commentary , the note they got back from Disney said " Nice try . " While early reports said Stoller would also direct the film , in January 2010 James Bobin was hired to direct the film . David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman became producers for the film . The first table read of the script took place in May 2010 . In July 2010 , the team involved with producing the movie met with creative heads at Pixar to fine - tune the script . Walt Disney Pictures originally announced a Christmas 2011 release for the film , but in December 2010 the release was announced for Thanksgiving 2011 . On October 15 , 2010 , it was announced that Amy Adams , Rashida Jones and Chris Cooper were nearing deals to join the movie . According to a report on Hollywood . com , " Segel will star in the lead role , with Adams as his girlfriend . Jones takes the role of an ABC executive . Cooper plays the villain , a greedy man who wants to drill for oil underneath the studio . And he also has a personal vendetta against the Muppets : he never thought they were funny . " Segel discussed composer Bret McKenzie ' s involvement in a January 2011 interview . Segel said that he had considered writing the music himself but thought he might not be able to do it right . Segel said : " I ' m good at writing songs that are allowed to just be funny ; They don ' t need to have a tremendous amount of musical merit , but these Muppet songs have to be great . The lineage of the Muppet songs , things like " Rainbow Connection " and all that , it ' s not a job for an amateur . McKenzie really knows what he ' s doing , and his songs have just been beautiful . " In a 2011 interview , James Bobin revealed that early scripts included a different ending , where it ' s revealed that Tex Richman was really Kermit in a human suit , having made up Tex ' s plans so that the Muppets would get back together . Many Muppet characters that had not been seen in years were rebuilt for the film . According to Muppet designer Stephen Rotondaro ; " A lot of stuff was recreated , some puppets had gone missing — like Marvin Suggs [ the " Muppet Show " musician known for playing an instrument made of living balls of fluff ] . At this point , there are bibles , so everything ’ s patterned and labeled . " Although the film used traditional puppets instead of computer - generated characters , there were several visual effects shots in the film , allowing the traditional characters to do things that they had not been able to do before . Visual effects producer Janet Muswell Hamilton spoke of finding the right balance ; Filming . Production started in September 2010 and filming began on October 30 , 2010 . The November 12 , 2010 issue of Entertainment Weekly featured a 2 - page spread about the new Muppet movie . The article featured a summary of the film ' s concept along with quotes from Segel and Bobin . It also included the first photo of Walter , who up until then had never been seen , along with new photos of the Muppets and the movie ' s co - writer / co - star Jason Segel posing at a mock table read for the film . A second version of this publicity photo was released including James Bobin , Nick Stoller , and Bret McKenzie . The exteriors of the Jim Henson Company Studio Lot ( the former Charlie Chaplin Studios ) were redressed as Muppet Studios in November 2010 for the filming of " The Muppets " . Mickey Rooney filmed a cameo for the film in November 2010 . Ricky Gervais , Kathy Griffin and Billy Crystal filmed cameos in January 2011 . Hollywood Boulevard was closed for two nights on January 18th and 19th to film the final musical number . The shoot involved Amy Adams , Jason Segel and multiple Muppets singing and dancing in front of the El Capitan Theatre , with several rows of backup dancers and dozens of extras and Muppets filling the busy street . " The Los Angeles Times " reported that Kermit will once again sing one of his signature songs , " The Rainbow Connection " to resurrect classic material , but also to show his range as an actor , as he says he ' s very dramatic in the film . In an interview Kermit said Segel ' s " a big kid , " and added that " the only problem is he ' s very tall , so I have to do most of my scenes standing on boxes . He ' s 6 - foot - 3 , 6 - foot - 4 , and I ' m only about 18 inches high . " Kermit also said he ' s excited to be back in the movies : " Not only is it a big project but we get to be big on the screen . It ' s good for all of us except Piggy . She ' s not crazy about being any bigger . " Scenes which take place in Paris were achieved through the use of green screen . Other scenes , including Kermit reprising " Rainbow Connection " in a rainstorm , were filmed on a sound stage . Principal photography was completed on February 11 , 2011 . On April 26 , 2011 , a second unit film crew traveled to Reno , Nevada to film some exterior shots . Including a scene in the Bonanza Casino parking lot with some Muppet characters , and a small shot looking into the casino . On July 24 , 2011 , the film crew returned to Hollywood Boulevard to film some re - shoots in front of the El Capitan Theatre with Jason Segel , several Muppets , and extras . Amy Adams was not available for the re - shoots , so her stand - in was on the set . Promotion . See : Merchandise and tie - ins . Several books based on the film - " I Am Kermit the Frog " and " " along with a - were released in October 2011 . " " and " " were also released as a direct tie - in to the movie . The film ' s soundtrack was released on November 21 , 2011 from Walt Disney Records . A series of plush dolls - including a doll of the film ' s new Muppet , Walter - were released by the Disney Store . OPI produced a line of Muppet nail polish during the 2011 holiday season , to tie - in in with the release of " The Muppets " . SpiritHoods produced a line of Muppet hoods featuring Kermit , Miss Piggy and Gonzo , as part of the SpiritHoods Kids line , to promote the release of the film . A set of " The Muppets " PEZ dispensers were released featuring Kermit the Frog , Miss Piggy , and for the first time , Animal . The Muppets made promotional tie - ins and cross - promotional material for AMC Theatres , Alamo Rent a Car , Cravendale , Google + , miniclip . com , Orange , Underwriters Laboratories , Wonderful Pistachios and Yamaha . Selected Awards . Academy Awards WON Broadcast Film Critics Association Award WON NOMINATED Golden Reel Awards ( from the Motion Picture Sound Editors ) WON The Comedy Awards ( from Comedy Central ) NOMINATED Kids ' Choice Awards NOMINATED