The Muppets revealed a first look at Ed Asner’s posthumous guest appearance in Disney+’s upcoming Halloween special, Muppets Haunted Mansion.
While Muppets Haunted Mansion boasts many mysterious celebrity cameos -- "to be revealed soon" -- Asner’s appearance in the project is substantial, as it will serve as one of the actor’s last on-screen appearances after passing away in August at age 91. The Muppets’ official Twitter page unveiled Asner’s dapper visage, toasting the viewer from behind a ghostly portrait frame. It was not stated whether Asner will grace the walls of the Haunted Mansion as a version of himself, or as a quirky portrait inhabitant intrinsic to the Disney attraction.
Asner showed no sign of slowing down in the sunset of his career, meaning Muppets Haunted Mansion will serve as just one of many posthumous appearances for the legendary actor in the coming months. Asner will appear in an upcoming episode of B.J. Novak’s The Premise as well as film and television projects Awaken, Scarlett, The Last Saturday Night, A Fargo Christmas Story and Back Home Again. Asner has likewise contributed to the upcoming documentaries The Gettysburg Address, Corsi: The World’s First Supermodel, Sills and Stu’s Show.
Throughout his prolific career, Asner has racked up credits that continue to endear his image to viewers of all generations. Asner first became a household name to older audiences through his role as Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and aged into a staple of family movie nights as Carl Fredrickson in Pixar's Up and Santa Claus in Elf. The family-friendly Muppets Haunted Mansion, part of Disney+’s second annual Hallowstream promotion, provides a fitting setting for audiences to visit Asner’s on-screen ghost.
Muppets Haunted Mansion will trap an intrepid Gonzo in the titular Disney Parks' ride on Halloween night, a stay that will include musical numbers, celebrity cameos and, of course, fellow Muppets. Currently, Asner is one of only a handful of announced celebrity cameos, with Craig Robinson, Darren Criss, Justine Machado, Chrissy Metz, Yvette Nichole Brown and Danny Trejo rounding out the cast and providing some musical accompaniment to Gonzo’s Haunted Mansion stay.
Muppets Haunted Mansion joins LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales, R.L. Stine anthology Just Beyond and a remake of the Disney Channel original movie Under Wraps as a part of Disney+’s 2021 Hallowstream lineup. The collection will also include holiday classics such as Hocus Pocus, Twitches, Halloweentown and the original Haunted Mansion adaptation.
Audiences will be able to book a trip to the Haunted Mansion with Gonzo, Asner and a slew of other spectral guests on Disney+ starting Oct. 8.
Source: Twitter