Jon Watts failed to continue the success of his Spider-Man trilogy with the star-studded film Wolfs, so perhaps a change in tone is in order? According to scooper Daniel Richtman, Watts is in talks to direct Muppet Man, a biopic of Muppets creator Jim Henson.
Penned by Oscar-nominated writer Chris Weitz (About a Boy), Muppet Man would center on the life of Jim Henson and his journey to prove to broadcasters that The Muppets were viable on television. Hopefully it also digs into his early career with experimental puppetry that led to the creation of The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and Sesame Street. He was also featured in the first season of Saturday Night Live.
This is a project that has been in the works for a few years from Disney and The Jim Henson Company. Back in 2021, Michael Mitnick (The Current War) was hired to write the screenplay, based on an earlier draft by Adrift screenwriters Aaron and Jordan Kandell.
Watts recently inked a first-look deal with Disney, so Muppet Man could be part of that arrangement. He’s looking to bounce back from the disappointing returns on Wolfs, his crime comedy starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Watts was also the co-creator and showrunner of the recently Disney+ series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.
This would be quite the tonal shift for Watts, doing something a bit more down-to-earth and human. Following his breakout Sundance debut, Cop Car, Watts was engulfed by Marvel Studios, directing the first three Tom Holland Spider-Man movies before moving on.
