When talking to TUDUM, Johnson says he believes that a Benoit Blanc mystery and a “Muppets” movie, while each wonderful in their own regard, are so different from one another that it would throw them off of each other’s groove:
“I think those two things have very different rules […] You can either have a Benoit Blanc mystery that has Muppets in it, but they’ll feel out of place. Or you can have a Muppet movie that Benoit Blanc is in, but it’ll feel like a Muppet movie.”
As fun as it sounds on paper, Johnson makes a valid point. The “Muppets” would either have to embrace the more adult themes of a Benoit Blanc mystery or try something more sanitized. Johnson’s mysteries are naturally funny, yet they feature a tangible human danger that would feel absent when the suspects are a cast of adorable talking puppets.
Seeing how many people believed he would make a great fit to work with the Muppets, Johnson came up with the best possible outcome. “If I ever make a Muppet movie, I just want to make a great Muppet movie,” says Johnson. Disney hasn’t given the go-ahead to another movie since “Muppets Most Wanted” underperformed, but if there’s anyone who could bring them back to the big screen in another glorious caper, Johnson seems more than primed to tackle that responsibility. He’s worked with Muppet alum Frank Oz on “The Last Jedi,” after all. But there’s also another idea hanging in the balance.