The Muppets fans will finally be able to watch the extended cut of The Muppet Christmas Carol this Christmas on Disney+.
According to ComicBook.com, an extended cut of 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol will be available on Disney+ beginning Friday, Dec. 9. The extended cut will include the deleted song "When Love Is Gone," an emotional ballad about love lost between Belle (Meredith Braun) and Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine). "When Love Is Gone" was previously available to watch as an extra on Disney+. The streamer is releasing the extended cut of The Muppet Christmas Carol in celebration of the film's 30th anniversary.
"When Love Is Gone" was infamously cut from The Muppet Christmas Carol's original 86-minute theatrical release at the request of Disney's then-Studio Chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg, who deemed the song "a little too adult-emotional for little kids to stay connected." However, the four-minute deleted scene was added to VHS and DVD versions of the movie, allowing fans their first chance to watch the emotional ballad.
The Muppet Christmas Carol was directed by Brian Henson, son of The Muppets creator Jim Henson, from a screenplay by Jerry Juhl. The film is the Muppets' take on Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol, with Caine in the starring role as Ebenezer Scrooge and the Muppets in the remaining roles. The film was released in December 1992 by Disney and was a modest critical and commercial success.
The Muppets on Disney+
The Muppets made their debut on Disney+ with the 2020 improvisational comedy series Muppets Now followed by Muppets Haunted Mansion in 2021. While Muppets Now received mixed reviews, Muppets Haunted Mansion received positive responses from fans and critics, with many enjoying how the Halloween special successfully mixed the two Disney properties together. Muppets Haunted Mansion was the Muppets' first Halloween special and centered on Gonzo and Pepe, who are challenged to spend one night in a haunted mansion.
Following the success of Muppets Haunted Mansion, Disney+ announced The Muppets Mayhem, an upcoming comedy series that will focus on the musical puppets of the fictional band The Electric Mayhem. The 10 episode series will star Lilly Singh as Nora, a junior A&R executive tasked with helping The Electric Mayhem navigate the modern music business and record their first-ever platinum album. Developed by The Goldbergs creator Adam F. Goldberg, The Muppets Mayhem also stars Tahj Mowry, Saara Chaudry and Anders Holm.
The extended edition of The Muppet Christmas Carol will be available to stream on Disney+ on Dec. 9.
Source: ComicBook.com