Disney Reportedly Rebooting ‘The Muppets’ For Its Streaming Service, According To ‘The Hollywood Reporter’

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney is planning to reunite the Muppets gang once more for a fresh reboot of the franchise, which is set to join a roster of original programming on the studio’s new streaming service, scheduled to launch in late 2019.

The Walt Disney Company acquired The Muppets from The Jim Henson Company in 2014, and in the years that followed the beloved cast of iconic characters returned to our screens time and time again with mixed success. In 2015, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy reteamed with several other troupers for ABC’s revival, The Muppets, but the comedy series only lasted for 16 episodes following its poor critical reception and declining ratings.

However, it seems that the House of Mouse is not ready to pull the final curtain on their beloved puppet ensemble just yet, as THR reports that “a search for a writer for the new take is underway,” though no further details on the premise or format of the production have been shared at this time.

If this Muppets reboot rumor turns out to be true, it will likely join a number of remakes, reboots, and spin-offs from a variety of Disney intellectual properties, which are expected to be the foundation of the company’s currently untitled streaming service.

The new platform, headed by OTT programming chief Agnes Chew, is reportedly being envisioned as a competitor to Netflix, one of the largest global entertainment subscription businesses at present.

Disney has already announced a whole host of high-profile original programming that will be exclusively available on their streaming service, including a long-rumored live-action Star Wars TV series, as previously reported by the Inquisitr.

There have also been talks of a brand new Marvel series, as well as remakes and reboots such as High School Musical, a series based on Pixar’s Monsters, Inc., and an adaptation of The Mighty Ducks. That’s not to mention the four or five original movies that Disney CEO Bob Iger told Variety would be produced for the service each year.

Disney has yet to reveal the name, price points, and projected timeline for the rollout of its direct-to-consumer streaming service, though it is anticipated to launch sometime in fall 2019. So, we advise you to watch this space for further developments.