Rising star Rachel Zegler has her pick of work, from starring in Disney’s live action adaptation of “Snow White” to making her Broadway debut in “Romeo + Juliet,” but she’s ready to work with some non-human talent for a change. As part of Variety’s New York Issue, Zegler spoke with the publication about her career and the roles she hopes to take on, including being the main player in a Muppet movie.
“Michael Caine did it for ‘Christmas Carol,’” she said. “Tim Curry did it for ‘Muppet Treasure Island.’ I want to be the one!”
Other talent have taken up this mantle in recent history as well, with Ashanti playing Dorothy in 2005’s “The Muppets‘ Wizard of Oz” and Jason Segel and Amy Adams starring in 2011’s “The Muppets.” Its most recent entry was a Halloween special in 2021 called “Muppets Haunted Mansion,” a tie-in with the famous Disney ride. Since Disney acquired the rights to The Muppets in 2004, its had many fits and starts with keeping the brand relevant, from trying to create a new film franchise that didn’t make it past the sequel “Muppets Most Wanted,” to greenlighting an “Office”-like mockumentary series about the personal and professional lives of The Muppets that only had one season. In truth, the best way to keep this beloved gang alive — at least in our humble opinion — would be to continue the tradition of classic literary adaptations with a Muppets spin and perhaps there’s no better actress out there now to lead this initiative than Zegler.
She can act, she can sing, she can dance, and most importantly, next to Kermit or Fozzie, she would shine, a fact that is sure to make Miss Piggy go ham and lead to hilarious comic ends. But what source material should Zegler and The Muppets take on together? We have a few ideas to get the ball rolling, so keep reading below and Disney, feel free to give us a call.
‘The Princess and the Pea’/’Once Upon a Mattress’
While we know Zegler can take on tragedy, having debuted in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” and now starring in Shakespeare’s romantic downer “Romeo + Juliet,” but after taking on such bleak material, it would be great to see her queen-out in a campy, silly fable like Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Princess and the Pea.” We all know how the story goes: A young princess is bequeathed to a lonely prince, but before they wed, her royal sensitivity is tested with the placement of a pea under her many-mattressed bed. The story has previously been adapted into a smash Broadway musical called “Once Upon a Mattress,” which is currently being revived starring Sutton Foster. The original starred a then-unknown Carol Burnett, who would go on to star in a 2005 made-for-TV movie version of the show that aired on ABC. It would be easy to just use the musical as source material, setting Zegler as Princess Winnifred, Kermit as Prince Dauntless, Miss Piggy as the Queen, and Fozzie as the silent King (only communicating through the use of his rubber chicken of course), but Disney could also just work off the original fairy tale and create their own adaptation. Either way, it’s the perfect vehicle for Zegler to stretch her princess bonafides into unique, comic territory.
‘Don Quixote’/’Man of La Mancha’
Originally published in two parts over 400 years ago, Miguel de Cervantes’ “Don Quixote” is the quintessential satire of male egotism and continues to hold reverence to this day. Following the adventures of a mentally unstable nobleman who becomes a knight in an effort to revive chivalry throughout his country, “Don Quixote” is often viewed as both a comedy and a tragedy, as the main character’s vision of reality runs in comic contrast to the world he inhabits, therefore leading to ridiculous situations that can viewed with humor and pity. Like “The Princess and the Pea,” the novel was adapted into a musical in the 1960s called “The Man of La Mancha,” which itself was turned into a poorly received film starring Peter O’Toole and Sophia Loren, but seems rife for reinvention. And if anyone is a modern stand-in for Italian bombshell Loren, it’s Zegler. As serving wench Aldonza — or as Quixote refers to her, Dulcinea — she is sure to melt the heart of any felt-covered soul to cross her path. As for Quixote and his faithful, if not bumbling hand Sancho Panza, these roles seem best suited to the talents of Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat, an already established duo in The Muppets universe who could bring a history and dynamism to the parts. What’s more, as a journey story itself, “Don Quixote” perfectly fits into the mold previous “Muppets” movies have created as being road films.
‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’
Lewis Carroll’s 1865 children’s novel has been adapted and reimagined many times over, from a silent film made in 1903 to the 1951 Disney animated feature. Even “Resident Evil” has certain allusions to classic fairy tale about a young girl who follows an anthropomorphic White Rabbit down into the fanciful, yet terrifying world of Wonderland. What’s so great about this choice for a Muppets adaptation is the plethora of characters to match up with each one of our favorite hollow, yet heartfelt friends. You could have Animal as The Mad Hatter, Sam the Eagle as the Caterpillar, Statler and Waldorf as Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Rowlf the Dog as the Cheshire Cat, the options are endless. And as Alice, Zegler could take another stab at reinventing a classic character as she did with “Snow White,” albeit in a setting that allows her to take everything in with a more comic bent. Rather than have an Alice unsure with how to deal with all the rules and formality Wonderland throws at her, Zegler’s take could be more about a young heroine rewriting the rules of the world forced upon her and creating something bolder and more beautiful with the help of The Muppets.
‘Sense and Sensibility’
Jane Austen may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but in the hands of The Muppets, this romantic, yet stuffy affair can be made electric with an extra dash of wit and Pepé the King Prawn’s fiery temper. While there may be many Austen novels that warrant the Muppet treatment — “Pride and Prejudice” and “Emma” would be enjoyable as well — “Sense and Sensibility” feels the best suited as its overdramatic plot would be the perfect fodder for immature humor. At the same time, The Muppets also feel like the ideal vessel to carry the wild emotional sways of the story, as for all their silliness, its characters are prone to lead with their hearts and teach others to do the same. As Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, we feel Miss Piggy and Zegler, respectively, should balance these roles together. In this sense, Zegler wouldn’t exactly lead the troupe, but instead serve as just another member, though still one with more presence than others. And though Kermit should definitely play Edward, romantic interest to Elinor (and brother-in-law, yes, weird, but also rife for comedy), for Marianne’s beau, Colonel Brandon, getting another human actor would probably be best. If not, a dashing Beaker may fill the role nicely.
‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
It may surprise some to hear, but outside of certain sketches on the original television variety series, The Muppets have never taken on the work of the Bard in full. Plenty of Shakespeare’s work would be perfect for The Muppets’ sensibilities and while we would love to see them find some way to inject humor into one of his tragedies like “Hamlet” or “Macbeth,” a comedy like “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is much more in their wheelhouse. Even more appealing, despite their being multiple film adaptations and even ballets and musicals made based on the play, it still feels like there is no definitive version of this tale that’s in the public’s consciousness outside of the original source material, meaning The Muppets really have a chance to make their own imprint on one of Shakespeare’s most popular works. Taking place over a few days and mostly in the forest under the light of the moon, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” tracks a collection of lovers as their affections are tested by magic and by mischief. Zegler, in theory, could really play any of the female characters, especially the Queen of the Fairies, Titania, but because so much of the plot is facilitated and narrated by the unscrupulous sprite Puck, it would be perfect for this to be the only human character, while the rest are played by various Muppets. Add in a musical element and you’ve got a surefire fantasy classic that will tickle the cheeks as much as it warms the heart.
