The Muppets Celebrate 30 Years of 'Muppet Treasure Island'
Ahoy! On this day in 1996, Muppet Treasure Island sailed into theaters. Join us lads, because we’re embarking on a 30th anniversary adventure all month long!
Shiver my timbers, shiver my bones: Muppet Treasure Island released in theaters 30 years ago today, and The Muppets are celebrating.
‘Muppet Treasure Island’ 30th Anniversary
Released on February 16, 1996, Muppet Treasure Island is an adaptation of the classic 1883 novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson directed by Brian Henson and produced by Disney.
Kermit the Frog takes on the role of Captain Abraham Smollett with the Muppets making up the rest of the crew of his ship, the Hispaniola. The Muppets were performed by Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, and Frank Oz.
Alongside the core Muppet cast, the film also stars the legendary Tim Curry as Long John Silver, Kevin Bishop as Jim Hawkins, Billy Connolly as Billy Bones, and Jennifer Saunders as Sarah Bluveridge. Looking back, Bishop has nothing but fond memories of his time among the Muppets:
I believed that Gonzo and Rizzo were my friends, and we were on an adventure together. Rizzo in particular, Steve Whitmire, was so funny. We would just play all day long.
“I wasn’t sure I was going to get the same kind of rapport [with humans] when I left [the Muppets’] world.”
When production wrapped, he was gifted with a special Muppet of himself as Long John Silver which he “still treasures”: “It’s an honor to be turned into a Muppet.”
The movie also features a score by The Lion King composer Hans Zimmer, who would later go on to create the iconic theme for another swashbuckling Disney film franchise: Pirates of the Caribbean. You can hear the early signs of “He’s a Pirate” in Muppet Treasure Island‘s opening number “Shiver My Timbers.”
The Muppets official Instagram account not only posted a celebratory message commemorating the anniversary, but hinted that more pirate shenanigans are coming soon:
Ahoy! On this day in 1996, Muppet Treasure Island sailed into theaters. Join us lads, because we’re embarking on a 30th anniversary adventure all month long!
