Jim Henson: The Biography

by Brian Jay Jones

From the beginning, Jim knew he wanted his film to be a homage to early movie musicals, “because I so enjoy those movies. I intended [the second Muppet movie] to have the fun and joy of those earlier films.” He also knew he wanted Kermit to be a reporter-turned-detective who would have to compete with a rival for Miss Piggy’s affections—but typically, he was having a difficult time articulating the rest of his story, only vaguely directing that it be “joyful” with a “positive attitude toward life,” and that it contain “several hilarious sequences [with] big laughs” as well as “some real emotions/relationships.” He thought there might be a big chase at the end, and he was certain the movie would end with all the Muppets floating down in “parachutes—everybody sings as they go down.”