The Muppets are currently thriving thanks to the new The Muppet Show special on Disney+, and soon, fans can experience one of Jim Henson's greatest creations on VR headsets, including the Apple Vision Pro.
Last year, the Muppet*Vision 3D attraction at Hollywood Studios in Florida shut down after nearly 35 years. One thing that made the theme park show special was that it marked the last project Henson worked on before his passing in 1990.
Currently, Disney is working on revamping the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster to star The Electric Mayhem, the Muppets' house band. However, fans are still sad about the loss of Muppet*Vision 3D. Now, folks can experience it in a new way.
According to The Wrap, camera crews captured Muppet*Vision 3D at Hollywood Studios, and the show is expected to be released on Apple Vision Pro and other VR headsets.
Brian Henson addresses Muppet*Vision in VR
Brian Henson is the son of Jim Henson and the current chairman of The Jim Henson Company. He created Puppet Up!, an improv comedy show starring some hilarious puppeteers.
The show is currently running at The Montalbán in Los Angeles, and The Daily Dot had the chance to attend the event, where Henson did a Q&A with the audience and happily answered questions about The Muppets.
The Muppets have been owned by Disney since 2004, but Henson has a lifelong history with the characters. He worked on many of his father's projects before directing The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island. When asked about his opinion on Muppet*Vision's future, his response was quite positive.
"It's better than it not coming to VR," Henson joked.
The creative went on to explain that they did a thorough job capturing the show for the VR experience. He said that users will be able to sit in any seat in the house while watching Muppet*Vision, changing up the view.
Henson ultimately seemed to be in favor of the idea, which will hopefully put conflicted fans at ease.
How are fans reacting?
Speaking of conflicted fans, they are speaking out on the internet. While some people are excited that Muppet*Vision is being "preserved," others were hoping it would come to Disneyland instead.
"If Disney started selling defunct attractions as VR titles, I would actually get a headset," wrote @TheDeathOfFun on X.
"That's awesome," agreed @R_YayOFFICIAL. "I wish they could've done this with Alien Encounter."
"Josh D’Amaro just said he wants more muppets in the parks, so if he becomes CEO I can almost guarantee it will be put next to Rockin Roller Coaster," wrote @KeithGreenFilm.
Jenny Nicholson summarized the situation as such: "Why wouldn't they just put it back [in] California?? Most of the theater elements are untouched; they can replace any trashed animatronics with the Florida ones. Philharmagic isn't original to the space, and the animation looks like it's from PlayStation."
"Well, y’all wanted to rewatch the show," warned @ILucasK. "Be glad that they are preserving it."
However, some don't think it's enough. "Muppet*Vision 3D being exclusive to VR is upsetting when it’s a show intrinsically designed to be witnessed in real life as THE tangible Muppet experience," wrote @TheHorizoneer.
"They really need to construct a 3D Theatre attraction venue that can do both films and just has different animatronics pop out of different sections of the wall depending on the show," wrote @JakeLandauTO. "You can get people to then ride it twice in one day, technically boosting capacity."
X user @Shishagumi happily pointed out that "the fact that there's a prop from Muppet*Vision 3D, PizzeRizzo, and even the Stage 1 Company Store in the Muppet Show special speaks volumes to the dedication that the Muppets Studio has for its future while tributing its past."
We love you, Muppets.
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