Muppets to Appear at Academy Awards

The Muppets are going to the Academy Awards.

Although the Oscar producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer have decided not to include onstage performances of the two nominated songs, including "Man or Muppet," they have booked the Muppets to be presenters on the show, ABC and the Academy announced on Friday.

But the new Muppet Walter, who sings the Bret McKenzie song "Man or Muppet" with Jason Segel, was shorted again: According to the press release, the Muppets power couple of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy will handle the Oscar presenting duties.

The decision to omit the nominated songs from the Oscar show had led to an online petition to let the Muppets participate. As of Friday, the petition had received more than 62,000 signatures.

The Muppets Hit Theaters This Thanksgiving

It's a typical Muppet movie plot.

When Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, and friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater, they help Kermit reunite the Muppets to stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater.

This is the seventh Muppet movie and the first since "Muppets From Space" in 1999.  I expect the box office receipts to be huge all the way through the end of the year.