Star Wars
From Muppet Wiki
Star Wars is the title of both the 1977 science fiction film and the entire epic six-film saga created by George Lucas. Apart from the first entry, later retitled Episode IV: A New Hope, the films in the cycle are The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Return of the Jedi (1983), The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), and Revenge of the Sith (2005). The franchise also encompasses audio dramatizations, animated series (Ewoks and Droids in 1985 and The Clone Wars in 2003), video games, comics, and other spin-offs. There are many connections between Star Wars and the Muppets, perhaps most notably the presence of Frank Oz's character Yoda, who has often been misidentified as a Muppet.
In an interview with Leonard Maltin, George Lucas discussed the process:
| I went to Jim [Henson] and said, 'Do you want to do this?' And he said, 'Well, I'm busy, I'm doing this, and doing that, I'm making a movie and all that -- I really can't, but... how about Frank? You know, Frank's the other half of me.' And I said, 'Well, that'd be fantastic.' [1]
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Oz went on to play Yoda in the four subsequent Star Wars films. The Yoda puppet was built by many veteran Henson designers who would go on to form the basis of Jim Henson's Creature Shop. In 1986, Lucas served as an executive producer on Henson's Labyrinth.
In 1999, an interviewer made the comment to Frank Oz, "There seemed to be a kind of natural synergy between Star Wars and the Muppets almost immediately," to which he replied in detail:
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| I think that's true. Certainly, they both had the vitality and purity and joy and dreaming, and there's certainly geniuses behind both of them. George and Jim worked together on Labyrinth, and I think that which got them together was that synergy. There was an awareness and an appreciation. They are both very unique individuals, and I think they both wanted to work with each other, because they were very similar - very smart, very quiet, very strong people. [2]
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Star Wars Guests
Gonzo looks at an X-wing in The Muppets Go to the Movies.
Piggy and Beauregard in front of Star Tours in The Muppets at Walt Disney World.
- In 1979, C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2 appeared in two episodes of Sesame Street, Episode 1364 and Episode 1396.
- In 1980, the stars of Star Wars guest-starred on episode 417 of The Muppet Show, including Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill (Luke's cousin), C-3PO, R2-D2, and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew). The show also featured Star Wars parody elements, including Gonzo as Dearth Nadir.
- In 1990, C-3PO and R2-D2 (in their Star Tours incarnations) hooked up a transmission for Tony Danza to interview Miss Piggy on Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Celebration.
References
- Gonzo makes his first of two appearances as Dearth Nadir in The Muppet Show episode 402, with a group of chickens as stormtroopers. He appears as Nadir again in episode 417, with First Mate Piggy dressed as Princess Leia.
- In 1980, ITC Distribution France released a poster print (and later, postcards) of the Muppet characters in a Star Wars spoof titled, "La Guerre des Muppets" (Muppet Wars). The scene is a take on the "Style A" theatrical one-sheet for the 1977 film with Kermit as Luke Skywalker, Miss Piggy as Princess Leia, Gonzo as Darth Vader, Fozzie Bear as C-3PO and Lew Zealand as R2-D2.
- The "Hey a Movie!" opening number of the 1981 special The Muppets Go to the Movies features brief film clips from famous movies, including a shot of an X-wing fighter.
- The cover of the Summer 1983 issue of Muppet Magazine featured Kermit (as Luke Skywalker) and Gonzo (as Darth Vader) having a light saber fight while Miss Piggy (as Princess Leia) looked on. Inside is a comic book parody called "Super Stars War" starring Link Hogthrob as Ham Solo, Miss Piggy as Princess Loina, Kermit as Fluke Shywalker, Gonzo as Barff McVader and Superschnozz, Dr. Julius Strangepork as Okiwan Fenokee, and Fozzie Bear as Chewbackwards.
- The Muppet Magazine cover was later titled "Star Chores" for Jim Henson's Muppet Trading Cards in 1993 and seen as a poster in Robin's room in the "Muppet Babies: Yes, I Can" series of videos in 1995. The title "Star Warts" was used for its appearance in the Muppet Movie Parodies 1999 Calendar and The Muppets at the Movies 2002 Calendar, and also appeared without a header in The Muppet Calendar CD-ROM (1995).
- Footage from a Star Wars space battle is used in a montage of film clips at the beginning of The Muppets Go to the Movies.
- Muppet Babies has evoked Star Wars on many occasions. Baby Gonzo borrows Nanny's camcorder and makes a Star Wars parody in the 1984 episode "Gonzo's Video Show". Another first season episode is titled "From a Galaxy Far, Far Away", although that episode's plotline is actually a reference to E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial.
- A more elaborate Muppet Babies spoof occurred in the 1990 episode "Muppet Babies: The Next Generation", with Baby Gonzo as Gon Zolo, Baby Fozzie as Fozz-Wocka, Baby Animal as Yodie and Animal Vader, Baby Scooter as R2-D2 and Baby Skeeter as C-3PO. Footage from Star Wars has also been used in other episodes, for example, when a character opens a door to reveal a threatening danger. A clip of a TIE-fighter chasing an X-Wing can also be seen in the opening credits of each episode.
- Miss Piggy and Beauregard go on the "Star Tours" ride in the 1990 special The Muppets at Walt Disney World.
- In Muppets from Space (1999), the Cosmic Fish bid farewell to Gonzo saying "May the Fish be with you," a reference to Star Wars' famous line, "May the Force be with you."
- In It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002), Daniel attempts to bring Kermit to a world in which he was never born, but accidentally takes him first to an atmospheric realm inhabited by a Yoda Muppet, performed by Eric Jacobson.
- In a Movie Mania TV spot made for the Odyssey Channel, several Muppets (including Kermit, Fozzie, Bobo the Bear, Pepe the King Prawn, and Animal) "auditioned" for the role of Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back.
- Similarly, in a 2006 episode of Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony, Bobo auditions for the role of Chewbacca in Revenge of the Sith, but insists on reading for other characters.
- For the July 2008 Star Wars Weekends in Disney World, a set of six PVC figures were released featuring the Muppets as Star Wars characters.
Muppet Mentions
- In the comic book Star Wars Tales issue #14, "The Emperor's Court" examines the "Who shot first?" phenomenon between Han Solo and the alien Greedo created by George Lucas's later changes to his 1977 film. Emperor Palatine presides over a jury including (among others) Super Grover and Kermit the Frog.
- A behind-the-scenes mention is also relevant to the discussion of creating a romantically realistic fight choreography sequence in the documentary From Puppets to Pixels. See Yoda for more.
Connections
In addition to Frank Oz and the aforementioned guests, many puppeteers, designers, and actors have worked in the Star Wars franchise as well as in Muppet/Henson productions.
- Ed Asner played Jabba the Hutt in the NPR radio dramatization of The Return of the Jedi (1996)
- Donald Austen assisted on Yoda in The Phantom Menace (1998)
- Kenny Baker played R2-D2 in all six films
- David Alan Barclay assisted in the building and performance of Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and puppeteered Jabba the Hutt (mouth and arm) in Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Chris Barton worked as a designer on The Phantom Menace (1998) and Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Bob Bergen voiced Luke Skywalker in several LucasArts video games
- Ailsa Berk played Amanaman in Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Danny Blackner played an Ewok in Return of the Jedi (1983)
- David Bowers played Mas Amedda in Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Paul Brooke played the Rancor keeper in Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Art Carney played Saun Dann in The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
- Alyson Court played Malani and Baby Nippet in the animated series Ewoks (1985)
- Oliver Ford Davies played Governor Sio Bibble in The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), and Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Warwick Davis played Wicket Warrick in Return of the Jedi (1983) and Wald and Weasel in The Phantom Menace (1998)
- Malcolm Dixon played an Ewok Warrior in Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Lindsay Duncan played the voice of TC-14 in The Phantom Menace (1998)
- Mike Edmonds played Logray and puppeteered Jabba the Hutt's tail in Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Peter Friedman played Dak in the radio version of The Empire Strikes Back (1983)
- Myra Fried played Hoona in Ewoks (1985).
- Stuart Freeborn served as make-up/creature supervisor on the original trilogy, and designed Yoda, Chewbacca, Jabba the Hutt, and others.
- Wendy Froud sculpted Yoda for The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Rusty Goffe played a Jawa, Kabe, GONK Droid, and others in A New Hope (1977)
- David Greenaway assisted on Yoda in Phantom Menace (1999)
- David Alan Grier played various roles in the NPR radio versions of Star Wars (1981) and The Empire Strikes Back (1983)
- William Hootkins played Jek Porkins in A New Hope (1977)
- Russell Horton played 2-1B in the NPR radio version of The Empire Strikes Back (1983)
- Samuel L. Jackson played Mace Windu in The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), and Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- James Earl Jones played Darth Vader in the first three films and in Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Harvey Korman played Krelman, Chef Gormaanda, and Amorphian instructor in The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
- Christopher Lee played Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- John Lithgow played Yoda in the NPR audio dramas of Return of the Jedi (1983) and The Empire Strikes Back (1996)
- Christopher Malcolm played Zev (Rogue 2) in The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Sam McMurray played various roles in the NPR radio drama of The Empire Strikes Back (1983)
- Kathryn Mullen assisted with Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Liam Neeson played Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace (1998)
- Rena Owen played Taun We in Attack of the Clones (2002) and Nee Alavar in Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Eric Peterson played Teebo in Ewoks (1985) and Old Ogger in Droids (1985)
- Toby Philpott puppeteered Jabba the Hutt's head, body, and tongue in Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Natalie Portman played Padmé Amidala from The Phantom Menace through Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Jack Purvis played a Jawa in A New Hope (1977), Chief Ugnaught in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Teebo in Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Wayne Pygram played Governor Tarkin in Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Hugh Quarshie played Captain Panaka in The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Mike Quinn puppeteered Nien Nunb and others in Return of the Jedi (1983) and served as a CG character animator on Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Tim Rose played Admiral Ackbar, Salacious Crumb and others in Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Kiran Shah performed an Ewok in Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Katherine Smee assisted on Yoda in The Phantom Menace (1999)
- John Stocker played Widdle and others in Ewoks and various villains in Droids (both 1985)
- Cree Summer played Princess Kneesaa in Ewoks (1985) and Luminara Unduli in the animated series Star Wars: Clone Wars (2004)
- Genndy Tartakovsky directed Star Wars: Clone Wars (2004)
- Christopher Truswell voiced Gilramos Libkath, Shu Mai, San Hill and Wat Tambor in Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Billy Dee Williams played Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi
Sources
- ↑ "Casting a Legend" @ StarWars.com
- ↑ Star Wars Insider #42, p. 70
