The Muppets Take Manhattan

The Muppets Take Manhattan
Theatrical release poster
Directed byFrank Oz
Screenplay by
Story by
  • Tom Patchett
  • Jay Tarses
Based onThe Muppet Show
by Jim Henson
Produced byDavid Lazer
Starring
CinematographyRobert Paynter
Edited byEvan Lottman
Music byRalph Burns
Production
companies
Henson Associates
Delphi II Productions
Distributed byTri-Star Pictures
Release date
  • July 13, 1984 (1984-07-13)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$8 million
Box office$25.5 million

The Muppets Take Manhattan is a 1984 American musical comedy-drama film directed by Frank Oz and the third theatrical film featuring the Muppets. The film stars Muppet performers Jim Henson, Oz, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson, as well as special appearances by Art Carney, James Coco, Dabney Coleman, Gregory Hines, Linda Lavin, Liza Minnelli, Joan Rivers, and Brooke Shields. Filmed in New York City during the prior summer, it was released theatrically in the United States on July 13, 1984, by Tri-Star Pictures. A fantasy sequence in the film introduced the Muppet Babies characters.

The Muppets Take Manhattan was the first film to be directed solely by Oz, who previously co-directed The Dark Crystal with Henson. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics with praise for its puppetry, humor, songs and characters but criticism for some of its writing. The film was a box office success, grossing $25.5 million on a budget of $8 million.