Muppets Haunted Mansion is a Halloween special starring the Muppets and based on the Disney Parks attraction The Haunted Mansion. It debuted on Disney+ on October 8, 2021, and made its televised premiere on the Disney Channel on October 22, 2022.
Synopsis[]
The Muppets are throwing their annual Halloween party, but Gonzo and Pepe are instead going to a fear challenge event in the same haunted mansion where Gonzo's favorite magician, The Great MacGuffin, disappeared one-hundred years ago. Upon being dropped off by their hearse driver (Yvette Nicole Brown), Gonzo and Pepe meet the Caretaker, along with several ghosts and singing busts.
Entering the mansion, Gonzo and Pepe then meet the "Ghost Host" (Will Arnett), who tells Gonzo that he has been summoned to the mansion to see if he can survive the night; if he fails, he and Pepe will be trapped in the mansion forever. While Gonzo claims that he fears nothing, Pepe is easily scared by everything he sees in the mansion. After an encounter with Madame Pigota (Miss Piggy), Gonzo and Pepe come across a room full of several ghosts resembling their Muppet friends.
The Host soon reappears and informs Gonzo that in order to survive the mansion, he must face his fears in Room 999. When Gonzo is trapped in Room 999 (with the room's number sign turning upside down to read "666") and faces his biggest fear: that no one will like him if he does not do dangerous stunts. Gonzo starts to turn old as his reflection taunts him. Recalling a conversation with Kermit he had earlier, Gonzo realizes that he can be great by just being Gonzo and the room de-ages and releases him. The Ghost Host congratulates Gonzo for facing his fears and tells him that he is free to go so long as he makes it out by sunrise.
Meanwhile, Pepe meets and becomes entranced by the ghost of Constance Hatchaway (Taraji P. Henson), who plans to marry and then kill him as he meets the ghosts of her past husbands. Gonzo, realizing that Pepe is in trouble, refuses to leave without him and rushes off to save him. With the help of the Host's candelabra, Gonzo is able to find Pepe and stop the wedding. The pair jump out the window and make it out of the mansion just as the sun rises.
The Ghost Host meets them at the gate and reveals to them that he is the Great MacGuffin himself, who is impressed that Gonzo was willing to do what he could not; face his fears. The hearse driver picks them up and Kermit calls, asking to meet the pair for breakfast. Kermit comments that Gonzo and Pepe should bring their friends along, Gonzo and Pepe turn to see the Hitchhiking Ghosts behind them, prompting them to scream.
Character costumes[]
- Kermit as Miss Piggy
- Miss Piggy as Kermit
- Scooter as Elvis
- Lew Zealand with an arrow through his head
- One of Lew Zealand's Boomerang Fish as Lew himself
- Fozzie Bear as a banana
- Chip as a robot
- Clean Gene as a bunny
- Cactus as Santa Claus
- Floyd Pepper as a clown
Songs[]
- "Rest in Peace"
- "Grim Grinning Ghosts"
- "Life Hereafter"
- "Tie the Knot Tango"
- "Dancing in the Moonlight"
A soundtrack album for the special was released as an EP on the same day the special itself premiered.
Trivia[]
- This is the first Muppet project to feature the new Muppet Studios logo.
- Some of the ghost Muppets' costumes are reused from The Muppet Christmas Carol.
- When Pepe says he was almost tricked into marriage, Kermit mentions he's "been there", referring to the two times Miss Piggy tried tricking him into marrying her (the first being The Muppet Show episode guest-starring Marisa Berenson, and the second, more successful instance being The Muppets Take Manhattan).
Cast[]
| Actor/actress/Muppeteer | Character(s) |
|---|---|
| Muppets | |
| Dave Goelz | Gonzo Chip (as Pickwick) Beauregard (as one of Constance's husbands) |
| Bill Barretta | Pepe the King Prawn Rowlf the Dog (as the Organist) Johnny Fiama (as one of Constance's husbands) |
| Eric Jacobson | Miss Piggy (as herself and Madame Pigota) Fozzie Bear (as Gauzey the Hatbox Bear) Sam Eagle (as a duelist) |
| Matt Vogel | Kermit the Frog (as himself and The Mansion Show host) Pops (as a duelist) Lew Zealand (as himself and one of Constance's husbands) |
| Peter Linz | Robin the Frog (as the Birthday Ghost) Walter (as one of Constance's husbands) |
| David Rudman | Scooter (as himself and a ghost) |
| Brian Henson | Sal Minella (as one of Constance's husbands) |
| Human characters | |
| Will Arnett | Ghost Host/The Great MacGuffin |
| Geoff Keighley | Uncle Theodore |
| Pat Sajak Craig Robinson Skai Jackson Justina Machado |
Singing Busts |
| Darren Criss | Caretaker |
| Jeannie Mai | Cousin Maude |
| Danny Trejo | Cousin Huet |
| Chrissy Metz | Harriet |
| Sasheer Zamata | Mary |
| Alfonso Ribeiro | Fred |
| Ed Asner | Brother Claude[1] |
| Kim Irvine | Maid |
| John Stamos | Famous Person |
| Yvette Nicole Brown | Hearse Driver |
| Taraji P. Henson | Constance Hatchaway |