New Movie Poster(s) for "The Muppets"

Yesterday, for the first time since May, we got to see a brand new theatrical poster for The Muppets--two new posters, in fact! It isn't clear which of these posters is being released, or even where it is being released. According to Scannain, the first site to reveal the poster, this is the international version of the film's poster released by Walt Disney Pictures Ireland. Whatever the case, check out both versions of this crammed-to-the-edges poster...

Many fans are conflicted about how they feel about this poster. I'm mostly positive, but not entirely... these are the only things that I don't like:

• No Floyd... c'mon, there was definitely room for Floyd in there alongside the rest of the Electric Mayhem. The general public won't notice he's missing... but it's sort of jarring if you know that he's supposed to be there. Hey, at least he got a line in the trailer.
• Some of the Muppets (Statler and Waldorf, Zoot, Rowlf, Dr. Teeth) are re-used and Photoshopped in from this big group shot. Again... only obsessed fans will notice, but if you notice it, it's jarring.
• Walter is too big. I mean... his head is definitely not twice as wide as Beaker's. Weird.

The list of things on this poster that I do like--and like very much--is definitely longer...

• Character selection is excellent. Yes, it would have been great to see Swedish Chef, Sam Eagle, Pepe, Rizzo... the list is endless. But this selection is perfect to me. Something that no one has pointed out is that the group on this poster (minus Statler and Waldorf and Walter) is the exact group of friends that Kermit finds in The Muppet Movie. Fozzie, Gonzo, Piggy, the Mayhem, Rowlf, Scooter, Bunsen, Beaker... these are the classics. I love it!
• NEW poser puppet images! Janice and Animal look especially awesome... so do Fozzie, Piggy, and Scooter, and Gonzo is just SO excited to be there--and I don't blame him!
• Vibrant, ultra-noticeable colors. I don't know if Disney did some photo manipulating... but the Muppets have never looked more vibrant. The colors on the characters here stand out like never before. Look at Scooter and Animal--they jump right off the print!
• Each and every Muppet there (except Statler... party pooper) is SO happy to be there, promoting their new, exciting movie. They're all back and they couldn't be happier... and neither could I--and I'm sure most Muppet fans.
• Zoot's cardboard sign. That's so very Muppety... they don't have some big flashy advertisement... just a piece of cardboard. Brilliant.
• No Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones, or any other one of the hundreds (slight over-exaggeration) of celebrities rumored. Just Muppets... because, you know, this is The Muppets. And as much as movie news websites will have us believe that this is Segel's movie or Adams' movie... it obviously isn't based on what we've seen. This is the Muppets' movie. It's Kermit's, it's Piggy's, it's Thog's, it's Walter's... and this poster continues to confirm that.

In the end, I really love this poster. It's just... pure Muppet happy. Sure, fans like us may find Miss Piggy off or Zoot's outfit weird or Walter too big or whatever, but the general public? They're going to see these colorful, gorgeous, and happy Muppets and think to themselves, "Gee... that sure seems like a movie I would want to see. I like being happy." So... yeah. I love this happy poster and I can't wait to see what Disney's promotional engine has for us next.

Also worth noting... if this is indeed the international poster, that means we'll be seeing a (presumably) different second poster in the United States pretty soon as well. So there's that!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com