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Best Movies Based on TV Shows

Ryan Gosling is Colt Seavers in ‘The Fall Guy,’ directed by David Leitch.

Question: What does ‘The Fall Guy‘ have in common with movies like ‘Mission: Impossible,’ ‘The A-Team,’ ‘The Equalizer‘ and ‘Sex in the City‘?

Answer: They are all movies based on popular TV programs!

Whether it’s a continuation of the original series like ‘The X-Files‘ or ‘The Simpsons Movie,’ or a remake of the show such as ‘The Fugitive‘ or ‘Miami Vice,’ Hollywood has long enjoyed success from adapting popular television programs into feature films.

In honor of ‘The Fall Guy,’ which is currently available to stream now at home, Moviefone is counting down the 30 best movies based on TV programs of all time.

NOTE: For this list we are including both movies that are remakes of TV shows featuring a new cast, as well as films that continue the story of the series with the original cast.

Let’s begin!

30. ‘The Addams Family‘ (1991)

(L to R) Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia in ‘The Addams Family’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

When a man claiming to be long-lost Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd) reappears after 25 years lost, the family plans a celebration to wake the dead. But the kids barely have time to warm up the electric chair before Morticia (Anjelica Huston) begins to suspect Fester is fraud when he can’t recall any of the details of Fester’s life.
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29. ‘Get Smart‘ (2008)

(L to R) Anne Hathaway as Agent 99 and Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart in ‘Get Smart.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

When the identities of secret agents from Control are compromised, the Chief (Alan Arkin) promotes hapless but eager analyst Maxwell Smart (Steve Carrell) and teams him with stylish, capable Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), the only spy whose cover remains intact. Can they work together to thwart the evil plans of KAOS and its crafty operative?
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28. ‘Lost in Space‘ (1998)

(L to R) Mimi Rogers, Lacey Chabert, William Hurt and Heather Graham in 1998’s ‘Lost in Space’.

The prospects for continuing life on Earth in the year 2058 are grim. So the Robinsons (William Hurt, Mimi Rogers, Heather Graham, Lacey Chabert and Jack Johnson) are launched into space to colonize Alpha Prime, the only other inhabitable planet in the galaxy. But when a stowaway (Gary Oldman) sabotages the mission, the Robinsons find themselves hurtling through uncharted space.
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27. ‘21 Jump Street‘ (2012)

(L to R) Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in ’21 Jump Street’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.

In high school, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) was a dork and Jenko (Channing Tatum) was the popular jock. After graduation, both of them joined the police force and ended up as partners riding bicycles in the city park. Since they are young and look like high school students, they are assigned to an undercover unit to infiltrate a drug ring that is supplying high school students synthetic drugs.
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26. ‘The Brady Bunch Movie‘ (1995)

1995’s ‘The Brady Bunch Movie’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

The original ’70s TV family is now placed in the 1990s, where they’re even more square and out of place than ever.
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25. ‘Star Trek: First Contact‘ (1996)

(L to R) Alice Krige as the Borg Queen and Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard in ‘Star Trek: First Contact.’ Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

The Borg, a relentless race of cyborgs, are on a direct course for Earth. Violating orders to stay away from the battle, Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew of the newly-commissioned USS Enterprise E pursue the Borg back in time to prevent the invaders from changing Federation history and assimilating the galaxy.
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24. ‘Charlie’s Angels‘ (2000)

(L to R) Lucy Liu, Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore in 2000’s ‘Charlie’s Angels’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

Three women (Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu), detectives with a mysterious boss, retrieve stolen voice-ID software, using martial arts, tech skills, and sex appeal.
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23. ‘Dragnet‘ (1987)

(L to R) Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks in 1987’s ‘Dragnet’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

LAPD Sgt. Joe Friday (Dan Aykroyd) — the equally straight-laced nephew of the famous police sergeant of the same name (Jack Webb) — is paired up with a young, freewheeling detective named Pep Streebeck (Tom Hanks). After investigating some strange robberies at the local zoo and the theft of a stockpile of pornographic magazines, they uncover cult activity in the heart of the city and are hot on the case to figure out who’s behind it all.
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22. ‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me‘ (1992)

(L to R) Harry Dean Stanton and Kyle MacLachlan in 1992’s ‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me’. Photo: New Line Cinema.

In the questionable town of Deer Meadow, Washington, FBI Agent Desmond (Chris Isaak) inexplicably disappears while hunting for the man who murdered a teen girl. The killer is never apprehended, and, after experiencing dark visions and supernatural encounters, Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) chillingly predicts that the culprit will claim another life. Meanwhile, in the more cozy town of Twin Peaks, hedonistic beauty Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) hangs with lowlifes and seems destined for a grisly fate.
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21. ‘Sex and the City‘ (2008)

(L to R) Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker in ‘Sex and the City’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
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A New York writer (Sarah Jessica Parker) on sex and love is finally getting married to her Mr. Big (Chris Noth). But her three (Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon) best girlfriends must console her after one of them inadvertently leads Mr. Big to jilt her.
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20. ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.‘ (2015)

(L to R) Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer in film ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,’ directed by Guy Ritchie.

At the height of the Cold War, a mysterious criminal organization plans to use nuclear weapons and technology to upset the fragile balance of power between the United States and Soviet Union. CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and KGB agent Illya Kuryakin (Arie Hammer) are forced to put aside their hostilities and work together to stop the evildoers in their tracks. The duo’s only lead is the daughter (Alicia Vikander) of a missing German scientist, whom they must find soon to prevent a global catastrophe.
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19. ‘South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut‘ (1999)

1999’s ‘South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

When the four boys see an R-rated movie featuring Canadians Terrance and Philip, they are pronounced “corrupted”, and their parents pressure the United States to wage war against Canada.
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18. ‘Jackass: The Movie‘ (2002)

2002’s ‘Jackass: The Movie’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

Johnny Knoxville and his band of maniacs perform a variety of stunts and gross-out gags on the big screen for the first time. They wander around Japan in panda outfits, wreak havoc on a once civilized golf course, they even do stunts involving LIVE alligators, and so on.
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17. ‘Veronica Mars‘ (2014)

Kristen Bell in 2014’s ‘Veronica Mars’. Photo: Warner Bros.

Years after walking away from her past as a teenage private eye, Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) gets pulled back to her hometown – just in time for her high school reunion – in order to help her old flame Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring), who’s embroiled in a murder mystery.
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16. ‘Maverick‘ (1994)

(L to R) Mel Gibson, James Garner and Jodie Foster in ‘Maverick’. Photo: Warner Bros.

Maverick (Mel Gibson) is a gambler who would rather con someone than fight them, and needs an additional three thousand dollars in order to enter a winner-takes-all poker game that begins in a few days, so he joins forces with a woman gambler (Jodie Foster) with a marvellous southern accent, and the two try and enter the game.
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15. ‘Wayne’s World‘ (1992)

(L to R) Mike Myers and Dana Carvey in ‘Wayne’s World.’ ©2021 Paramount Pictures. All Right Reserved.

The adventures of two amiably aimless metal-head friends, Wayne (Mike Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey). From Wayne’s basement, the pair broadcast a talk-show called “Wayne’s World” on local public access television. The show comes to the attention of a sleazy network executive (Rob Lowe) who wants to produce a big-budget version of “Wayne’s World”—and he also wants Wayne’s girlfriend, a rock singer named Cassandra (Tia Carrere). Wayne and Garth have to battle the executive not only to save their show, but also Cassandra.
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14. ‘State of Play‘ (2009)

(L to R) Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck in ‘State of Play’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

When a congressional aide is killed, a Washington, D.C. journalist (Russell Crowe) starts investigating the case involving the Representative (Ben Affleck), his old college friend.
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13. ‘The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!‘ (1988)

Leslie Nielsen in ‘The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

When the incompetent Lieutenant Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) seeks the ruthless killer of his partner, he stumbles upon an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II (Jeannette Charles).
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12. ‘Miami Vice‘ (2006)

(L to R) Colin Farrell as Detective James ‘Sonny’ Crockett and Jamie Foxx as Detective Ricardo ‘Rico’ Tubbs in ‘Miami Vice.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.

A case involving drug lords and murder in South Florida takes a personal turn for undercover detectives Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx). Unorthodox Crockett gets involved romantically with the Chinese-Cuban wife (Gong Li) of a trafficker of arms and drugs, while Tubbs deals with an assault on those he loves.
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11. ‘The X Files‘ (1998)

(L to R) David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in 1998’s ‘The X-Files’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson), now taken off the FBI’s X Files cases, must find a way to fight the shadowy elements of the government to find out the truth about a conspiracy that might mean the alien colonization of Earth.
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10. ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun‘ (2023)

Idris Elba as John Luther in ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun.’ Photo: John Wilson/Netflix © 2023.

A gruesome serial killer (Andy Serkis) is terrorizing London while brilliant but disgraced detective John Luther (Idris Elba) sits behind bars. Haunted by his failure to capture the cyber psychopath who now taunts him, Luther decides to break out of prison to finish the job by any means necessary.
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9. ‘The Fall Guy‘ (2024)

Ryan Gosling is Colt Seavers in ‘The Fall Guy,’ directed by David Leitch. © Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

He’s a stuntman (Ryan Gosling), and like everyone in the stunt community, he gets blown up, shot, crashed, thrown through windows and dropped from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment. And now, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love (Emily Blunt) of his life while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right?
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8. ‘The Simpsons Movie‘ (2007)

2007’s ‘The Simpsons Movie’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

After Homer (Dan Castellaneta) accidentally pollutes the town’s water supply, Springfield is encased in a gigantic dome by the EPA and the Simpsons are declared fugitives.
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7. ‘The A-Team‘ (2010)

(L to R) Liam Neeson, Sharlto Copley, Quinton Jackson and Bradley Cooper in ‘The A-Team’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

A group of Iraq War veterans goes on the run from U.S. military forces while they try to clear their names after being framed for a crime they didn’t commit. Along the way, Col. Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson), Capt. H.M. ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock (Sharlto Copley), Sgt. Bosco ‘B.A.’ Baracus (Quinton Jackson), and Lt. Templeton ‘Faceman’ Peck (Bradley Cooper) help out various people they encounter.
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6. ‘The Sweeney‘ (2013)

(L to R) Ray Winstone, Hayley Atwell and Plan B in 2012’s ‘The Sweeney’. Photo: Entertainment One.

Jack Regan (Ray Winstone), a hardened cop who doesn’t play by the rules, is confronted with a criminal from his past. With sidekick George Carter (Ben Drew) they are put on the case of a jewellery store heist that ends in a killing. But is that killing really an execution in disguise? With pressure from his boss (Steven Mackintosh) and the fact that Regan is having an affair with that boss’s wife (Hayley Atwell), it’s not going to be easy for him to stay out of trouble.
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5. ‘The Equalizer‘ (2014)

Denzel Washington in ‘The Equalizer.’ Photo: Sony Pictures.

Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when he meets Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by – he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer.
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4. ‘The Muppet Movie‘ (1979)

1979’s ‘The Muppet Movie’. Photo: Disney.

A Hollywood agent persuades Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson) to pursue a career in Hollywood. On his way there he meets his future muppet crew while being chased by the desperate owner of a frog-leg restaurant!
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3. ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan‘ (1982)

(L to R) William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy in ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

It is the 23rd century. The Federation Starship U.S.S. Enterprise is on routine training maneuvers and Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) seems resigned to the fact that this inspection may well be the last space mission of his career. But Khan (Ricardo Montalban) is back. Aided by his exiled band of genetic supermen, Khan – brilliant renegade of 20th century Earth – has raided Space Station Regula One, stolen a top secret device called Project Genesis, wrested control of another Federation Starship and sets out in pursuit of the Enterprise, determined to let nothing stand in the way of his mission: kill Admiral Kirk… even if it means universal Armageddon.
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2. ‘The Fugitive‘ (1993)

Harrison Ford in ‘The Fugitive’. Photo: Warner Bros.

Wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and sentenced to death, Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) escapes from the law in an attempt to find the real killer and clear his name.
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1. ‘Mission: Impossible‘ (1996)

Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

When Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), the leader of a crack espionage team whose perilous operation has gone awry with no explanation, discovers that a mole has penetrated the CIA, he’s surprised to learn that he’s the No. 1 suspect. To clear his name, Hunt now must ferret out the real double agent and, in the process, even the score.
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January 3, 2025
‘The Dark Crystal’ Digital Re-Release Interview: Lisa Henson
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Available for purchase or to rent on digital beginning February 6th is the Jim Henson and Frank Oz directed classic ‘The Dark Crystal,’ which was a departure from their work with The Muppets and featured groundbreaking animatronics.

‘The Dark Crystal’ will be available for purchase or to rent on digital beginning February 6th.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with the daughter of Jim Henson and CEO of the Jim Henson Company, Lisa Henson about the digital re-release of ‘The Dark Crystal.’ She discussed the development of the project, why her father wanted to direct something darker and fantasy-driven, the movie’s advances in animatronics, the popularity of the movie, the future of the franchise and the legacy of Jim Henson.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.

Related Article: Brian Henson Talks ‘Labyrinth’ Digital Re-Release and Playing Hoggle

The CEO of the Jim Henson Company, Lisa Henson talks ‘The Dark Crystal’ digital re-release.

Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about the development of this movie and why your father wanted to do something darker and more fantasy-driven after the success of ‘The Muppet Show’ and ‘The Muppet Movie’?

Lisa Henson: He was not expected to take this kind of turn. He was so successful with ‘The Muppet Show,’ and strangely, he himself decided to stop making ‘The Muppet Show’ and end it after five seasons. That was unusual at the time, but it was very indicative of his personality because he was restless. Even at the height of ‘Sesame Street,’ the Muppets stayed on ‘Sesame Street,’ but he himself decided he wanted to do a different kind of a show, a variety show with the Muppets. Similarly, when the Muppets were at the very height of their success, he was thinking that he wanted to do something else. He didn’t use the word immersive, but more immersive, where the whole world is brought to life. He met Brian Froud after seeing some of his artwork. Really, that partnership and that friendship kicked off the whole development of ‘The Dark Crystal’ because Brian was making creatures that my father knew could be built, but they had never been built before. He looked at those beautiful troll drawings that Brian did, and he had a lot of published work. I think that my father and the puppet builders knew that those things could be built with the techniques that they were starting to work on. He was experimenting as well with slightly different textures with the ‘Saturday Night Live’ puppets, with different sorts of realistic eyeballs. Instead of everything being a fluffy, furry character, these had different sorts of sculpted and molded texture. So, a lot of it was technical. He always wanted to solve a new technical challenge, but he was also very interested in a bigger fantasy world and was very attracted to the art of Arthur Rackham and other British illustrators who made a whole world of creatures. His dream project really was ‘Dark Crystal,’ and he was allowed tremendous freedom in the development. So, you asked about the development. The financier on ‘The Muppet Show’ gave him almost a blank check to do whatever he wanted for this fantasy film. He was able to have people drawing, sculpting, and coming up with new techniques. It’s like the world was developed even before the story was, and the script, which David Odell wrote was really coming in to focus later. So, this was a movie that was a classic world building exercise.

1982’s ‘The Dark Crystal.’ Photo: The Jim Henson Company. Copyright: Labyrinth Enterprises.

MF: Can you talk about the groundbreaking animatronics that your father helped create for this project?

LH: If you put yourself back to pre-CGI, pre-everything, they had no computer support to rely on either visually or even in terms of driving the mechanics. The contemporaneous puppetry is Yoda (from ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ and E.T. (‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial’), which in each case, was one character. The Henson Company was building an entire world with hundreds (of puppets). So that was sort of the scale of what they were trying to do, which was also amazingly ambitious. So, some of the same things that were being solved with Yoda and with E.T., whether it was eye blinking or fingers, all these things were mechanical and engineering challenges. Even the foam that something might become, the skin was a challenge, and everything was an engineering challenge. Then ‘Dark Crystal’ doubled, tripled, and quadrupled the challenge by the array of characters that they wanted to put on screen.

1982’s ‘The Dark Crystal.’ Photo: The Jim Henson Company. Copyright: Labyrinth Enterprises.

MF: The film was not well-received at the time of its release but has gone on to become a modern classic. Can you talk about the legacy of the movie, and did your father live long enough to see the movie become beloved by fans? If he was here now, what would he think about the fact that we are still talking about ‘The Dark Crystal’ almost 40 years later?

LH: I think it makes me wonder what it would’ve been like for him to live and see that both movies, both ‘The Dark Crystal’ and Labyrinth have become enduring classics that are extremely appreciated for the artistry and the innovation that went into them. At the time, ‘Dark Crystal,’ critically was complicated. It was respected on a certain level, but people felt a bit betrayed. “Why are the people who did ‘The Muppets’ doing something that’s a little scary?” But at the same time, there were people who appreciated it, and it did perform well internationally, and maybe even a little better in America than people feared. So, ‘The Dark Crystal’ performed well enough that he was able to get the financing with George Lucas‘s help for ‘Labyrinth.’ Then ‘Labyrinth’ is the one that performed badly. So, they were not both failures, but the ‘Dark Crystal’ while it performed well was a little bit critically complicated because it was just so different from what people expected from him coming off ‘The Muppet Show’ and ‘The Muppet Movie’.

Netflix’s ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.’ Photo: Kevin Baker.

MF: The franchise recently expanded with Netflix’s prequel series, ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance,’ are their plans for more live action ‘Dark Crystal’ in the future?

LH: We are always doing ‘Dark Crystal’ stuff. One of the things we have done between productions is publications and graphic novels. So, we develop storylines for the world of Thra, which if you didn’t know, it is the name of the planet in ‘Dark Crystal.’ So, we are always opening that world up with books and graphic novels in between productions.

(L to R) Director Jim Henson and Brian Henson as Hoggle on the set of ‘Labyrinth.’ Photo: The Jim Henson Company. Copyright: Labyrinth Enterprises.

MF: Finally, can you talk about your father’s legacy and the work of the Jim Henson Company that continues to this day?

LH: We have a lot of fun managing the legacy, and whether it’s making a brand new ‘Fraggle Rock’ show for Apple or making ‘The Dark Crystal’ prequel series, ‘Age of Resistance’ for Netflix, which was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. To be able to bring that world to life again, I never thought we would do it. With ‘Fraggle Rock’ as well, those shows were so beautiful and so complicated that being offered by today’s streamers the chance to go back and revisit and do puppet spectaculars again, it’s been wonderful and rewarding.
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What is the Plot of ‘The Dark Crystal?’

On another planet in the distant past a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal and restore order to his world before the grotesque race of Skeksis find and use the crystal for evil.

Who is in the Cast of ‘The Dark Crystal’?
- Stephen Garlick as the voice of Jen
- Lisa Maxwell as the voice of Kira
- Billie Whitelaw as the voice of Aughra
- Percy Edwards as the voice of Fizzgig
‘The Dark Crystal’ will be available for purchase or to rent on digital beginning February 6th. Photo: ‘Dark Crystal’ theatrical poster with art by Richard Amsel.

Other Jim Henson Company Movies:
- ‘The Muppet Movie‘ (1979)
- ‘The Great Muppet Caper‘ (1981)
- ‘The Dark Crystal‘ (1982)
- ‘The Muppets Take Manhattan‘ (1984)
- ‘Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird‘ (1985)
- ‘The Witches‘ (1990)
- ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol‘ (1992)
- ‘Muppet Treasure Island‘ (1996)
- ‘Muppets from Space‘ (1999)
- ‘Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day‘ (2014)
- ‘The Happytime Murders‘ (2018)
- ‘Guillermo del Toros Pinocchio‘ (2022)
Buy Jim Henson Movies on Amazon
February 6, 2024
Every Muppets Movie Ranked

(L to R) Zoot, Dr. Teeth, Floyd Pepper, Animal, Janice, and Lips in ‘The Muppets Mayhem.’ Photo: Disney/Mitch Haaseth.

Premiering on Disney+ beginning May 10th is the new series ‘The Muppets Mayhem,’ which stars popular Muppet characters and fictional rock band Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.

The beloved characters, which include Dr. Teeth, Lips, Floyd Pepper, Janice, Zoot, and Animal, have appeared in almost every Muppet movie and TV series released since their debut on 1976’s ‘The Muppet Show.’

In honor of their new series, Moviefone is counting down every Muppets movie from worst to best! We are only including feature films, whether they were theatrical or home entertainment releases, but we will not be including Muppets television series like ‘The Muppet Show,’ ‘Muppets Tonight,’ ‘Muppets Now,’ or ABC’s ill-fated ‘The Muppets.’

Let’s begin!

10. ‘The Muppets Wizard of Oz‘ (2005)

(L to R) Kermit the Frog, Pepe the King Prawn, and Gonzo in 2005’s ‘The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz.’ Photo courtesy of Disney.

The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz follows a young woman named Dorothy Gale (Ashanti) who dreams of becoming a singer but is unable to pursue her dreams. After being swept up by a tornado with her pet prawn Toto, Dorothy embarks on a journey to meet the Wizard of Oz, the person who both Dorothy and the citizens of Oz believe can help make her dream come true.
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9. ‘Muppets Most Wanted‘ (2014)

The Muppets in 2014’s ‘Muppets Most Wanted.’ Photo courtesy of Disney.

While on a grand world tour, The Muppets find themselves wrapped into a European jewel-heist caper headed by a Kermit the Frog look-alike and his dastardly sidekick (Ricky Gervais).
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8. ‘Muppet Treasure Island‘ (1996)

(L to R) Sam the Eagle, Kermit the Frog, Tim Curry, Kevin Bishop, and Gonzo in 1996’s ‘Muppet Treasure Island.’ Photo courtesy of Disney.

After telling the story of Flint’s last journey to young Jim Hawkins (Kevin Bishop), Billy Bones (Billy Connolly) has a heart attack and dies just as Jim and his friends are attacked by pirates. The gang escapes into the town where they hire out a boat and crew to find the hidden treasure, which was revealed by Bones before he died. On their voyage across the seas, they soon find out that not everyone on board can be trusted.
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7. ‘The Muppets Take Manhattan‘ (1984)

(L to R) Zoot, Miss Piggy, Animal, Dr. Teeth, Kermit the Frog, Scooter, Rowlf the Dog, Janice, The Great Gonzo, Floyd Pepper, and Camilla the Chicken in 1984’s ‘The Muppets Take Manhattan.’

When the Muppets graduate from Danhurst College, they take their song-filled senior revue to New York City, only to learn that it isn’t easy to find a producer who’s willing to back a show starring a frog and a pig. Of course, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy won’t take no for an answer, launching a search for someone to take them to Broadway.
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6. ‘Muppets Haunted Mansion‘ (2021)

(L to R) Pepe the King Prawn, Gonzo, and Will Arnett in ‘Muppets Haunted Mansion.’ Photo: Disney/Mitch Haaseth.

Gonzo is challenged to spend one night in The Haunted Mansion on Halloween night.
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5. ‘Muppets from Space‘ (1999)

(L to R) Miss Piggy and Gonzo in 1999’s ‘Muppets from Space.’ Photo courtesy of Disney.

When Gonzo’s breakfast cereal tells him that he’s the descendant of aliens from another planet, his attempts at extraterrestrial communication get him kidnapped by a secret government agency, prompting the Muppets to spring into action. It’s hard to believe Gonzo’s story at first, but Kermit and friends soon find themselves on an epic journey into outer space filled with plenty of intergalactic misadventures.
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4. ‘The Muppets‘ (2011)

(L to R) Jason Segel, Amy Adams and the Muppets in 2011’s ‘The Muppets.’

When Kermit the Frog and the Muppets learn that their beloved theater is slated for demolition, a sympathetic human, Gary (Jason Segel), and his puppet brother, Walter, swoop in to help the gang put on a show and raise the $10 million they need to save the day.
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3. ‘The Great Muppet Caper‘ (1981)

Miss Piggy in 1981’s ‘The Great Muppet Caper.’

Kermit and Fozzie are newspaper reporters sent to London to interview Lady Holiday (Diana Rigg), a wealthy fashion designer whose priceless diamond necklace is stolen. Kermit meets and falls in love with her secretary, Miss Piggy. The jewel thieves strike again, and this time frame Miss Piggy. It’s up to Kermit and Muppets to bring the real culprits to justice.
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2. ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol‘ (1992)

1992’s ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol.’

A retelling of the classic Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine), miser extraordinaire. He is held accountable for his dastardly ways during night-time visitations by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.
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1. ‘The Muppet Movie‘ (1979)

The Muppets in 1979’s ‘The Muppet Movie.’

A Hollywood agent (Dom DeLuise) persuades Kermit the Frog to pursue a career in Hollywood. On his way there he meets his future muppet crew while being chased by the desperate owner (Charles Durning) of a frog-leg restaurant!
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May 9, 2023
Restored Full Version of ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’ Arriving

1992’s ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol.’

Christmas is a time for gifts and also for watching ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’, which originally hit theaters in 1992 and starred Michael Caine as Ebeneezer Scrooge, alongside a smattering of other human actors and most of the key roles played by Kermit and the gang.

It has long since become an annual holiday favorite for many people, as much a part of Christmas tradition as turkey, trees and traumatic shopping experiences.

But for almost as many years, Muppet fans have been wondering when they might see missing song ‘When Love is Gone’ re-integrated back into the movie itself after so much time spent as a poor-quality deleted scene on home entertainment releases and as an extra on the Disney+ version.

It’s always seemed a surprising decision, since the song is a key emotional moment from Scrooge’s past and his heartbreaking decision to eschew true love Belle (Meredith Braun) for his pursuit of financial gain. The melody of the Paul Williams-penned song plays into Miles Goodman’s score and the final song ‘When Love is Found’ directly references it.

There is good news, then, for those that have loved the take on Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic tale of ghosts and redemption. As revealed during a 30-year retrospective panel for the movie at this year’s D23 Expo, the full movie will finally be available to watch for the first time.

Director Brian Henson told the D23 panel audience the story of how then-Disney boss Jeff Katzenberg demanded that the song be edited out of the movie after a test screening where he noticed that kids were getting restless through the mournful (yet also quite lovely) ballad.

Henson negotiated a deal: the song would be removed for the theatrical release but restored for home entertainment. Yet when the time rolled around for that, a proper negative couldn’t be found.

Despite a years-long search, nothing was turned up, at least until just recently, when a print containing the song was discovered, meaning that the full version could be made ready in 4K format for Disney+.

It’ll premiere on the streaming service on December 11th, though we’re still waiting to lean if it’ll become the main version of the movie or become part of the extras.
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In related Muppets news, there was also an announcement about a new recording of a classic track from band The Electric Mayhem. With the group preparing to hit Disney+ next year with ‘The Muppets Mayhem’, they’ve released an updated version of “Can You Picture That?”, originally performed in 1979’s ‘The Muppet Movie’.

The new series follows The Electric Mayhem on their journey to record their first ever studio album. The old-school band is helped along the way by Lily Singh’s Nora, a young music executive with her finger on the pulse of the current music scene. Also starring in the series are Tajh Mowry, Saara Chaudry, and Anders Holm.

September 14, 2022