Credit: The Jim Henson CompanyThe Muppets will return.
Over the weekend, Disney fans were forced to bid farewell to Muppet*Vision 3D, the film brought to life with in-theater 4D effects at Grand Avenue, where it entertained guests for 34 years. Now, the entire area is being repurposed into a Monsters, Inc.-themed land.
But the good news is that Kermit and the gang will return later this year.
No, we aren’t talking about Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, the Disney’s Hollywood Studios attraction that will drop the Aerosmith theme next year for a complete Muppets makeover. Before that happens, the Muppets will be appearing in another theater show in November.
We’ll start with the good news: the Muppets will be returning in a similar format to Muppet*Vision 3D. While there’s no 3D involved, there is a live orchestra on stage while the beloved 1992 film The Muppet Christmas Carol is played on a theater screen.
For the fifth year in a row, The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert will be showing at several theaters and venues, throughout the U.K., this winter, including Manchester, London, Edinburgh, and Sheffield, with screenings starting from November 21.
The bad news? U.K., performances will do very little, if anything, to Disney World parkgoers in the U.S. still mourning the loss of Muppet*Vision 3D. Nevertheless, there’s every chance The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert will show up in the States in the near future.
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Not only that, but last Christmas, some U.S. theaters screened a 4DX version of the 1992 classic, so here’s hoping the film will get a broader release in that format this year.
Swinging back to the theme park situation, fans can at least rest assured knowing that the Muppets will be taking over Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster in 2026. Not much is known about the revamp, but concept art suggests that Kermit and the gang will be teaming up with the in-universe band Electric Mayhem to put their own rock ‘n’ roll spin on the ride.
As for the upcoming U.K. performance, here’s Disney’s official description:
The Muppet Christmas Carol sees The Muppets perform the classic Charles Dickens holiday tale, with Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchit, the put-upon clerk of stingy Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine). Gonzo, as Dickens, narrates the story with the help of Rizzo the Rat. The film also features Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit, Gonzo as the narrator Charles Dickens, Fozzie Bear as Fozziwig, and Robin the Frog as Tiny Tim. Scrooge receives visits from spirits of three Christmases – past, present and future. They show him the error of his self-serving ways, but the miserable old man seems to be past any hope of redemption and happiness.
For more information about the concert, visit the official website.
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