The Muppets Studio
The Muppets Studio, LLC is an American entertainment production company and subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, that owns and produces media content for The Muppets franchise.[4] The division was previously formed as The Muppets Holding Company, LLC in 2004 through Disney's acquisition of The Muppets and Bear in the Big Blue House intellectual properties from The Jim Henson Company.
Formerly
The Muppets Holding Company, LLC (2004–2007)
Entertainment
February 14, 2004
Leigh Slaughter (vice president)[1]
- Film
- Television series
- The Muppets (2004-present)
- Bear in the Big Blue House (2004-2006)
5 (2015)[2]
Disney Live Entertainment (2019–present)[3]
The Muppets Studio manages the rights to the Muppets characters, including supervising their appearances across Disney's various divisions, as well as producing films, television series, specials, theme park attractions, music recordings, publishing, and live performances featuring the characters.
History[edit]
Background: Disney and Henson's failed merger[edit]
In the late-1980s, Jim Henson had been in talks with Disney CEO Michael Eisner to sell Jim Henson Productions to Disney.[5] In August 1989, the two officially announced a deal for Disney to purchase Jim Henson Productions for $150 million.[6] The deal fell through several months after Jim Henson's death in 1990.[7]
Despite the collapse of the merger deal, by 1992, Disney and Jim Henson Productions had already struck a number of deals: