Pigs in Space

Pigs in Space would be a 2026 American computer-animated musical space opera comedy film directed by Josie Trinidad and produced by Osnat Shurer and J.J. Abrams from a screenplay co-written with Jennifer Lee. Based on the The Muppet Show sketch of the same name, the film would be produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and Bad Robot Productions with association from The Muppets Studio and The Jim Henson Company, and would star the voices of Eric Jacobson, Peter Linz, Matt Vogel, Dave Goelz, Alan Tudyk, and Ben Diskin. Pinar Toprak would compose the film's score, while the songs would be written by recurring Disney songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

Development on an animated film adaptation of Pigs in Space would start in early 2023, with Trinidad set to direct and co-write with Lee. Abrams would join in mid-2023, due to his work on the Star Trek films, while the film's cast, which would mostly consist of current Muppet performers, would be announced in late 2023. The animators would develop a new software system in order to create character designs that closely resemble the original puppets' designs. The directors would also work closely with The Muppet Studio in order to develop a film faithful to the sketch. The writers would also draw inspiration from the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks.

Pigs in Space would be released on May 24, 2026, and would vecome a critical and financial success, with critics praising the film's themes, direction, screenplay, faithfulness to the source material, humor, animation, vocal performances, musical score, and songs. The film would also earn 897 million dollars at the worldwide box office over a budget of 175 millions. The film would earn two Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song, as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Picture.

Voice cast

 * Eric Jacobson as:
 * First Mate Piggy, the first mate of the Swintrek, who is constantly over-looked by Captain Link Hogthrob.
 * Fozzie
 * An Extreme
 * Peter Linz as:
 * Captain Link Hogthrob, the captain of the Swintrek, who constantly clashes with First Mate Piggy due to his ego.
 * Robin the Frog, Kermit's nephew and Link's biggest fan
 * Statler, a heckler featured in a live-action sequence in the film's post-credits scene.
 * Matt Vogel as:
 * Dr. Julius Strangepork, the Swintrek's resident scientis, who has a vast knowedge of the universe and a never-ending number of questionably-effective number of inventions.
 * The Announcer, the mysterious voice that narrates the adventures of the Swintrek's crew.
 * Kermit, a reporter working under The Newsman.
 * An Extreme
 * Alan Tudyk as the Swintrek's computer, the A.I. system that partially controls the Swintrek.
 * Phil LaMarr as:
 * Clifford, the owner and head of a cantina.
 * An Extreme
 * David Rudman as Scooter, the co-manager of the Swinstrek's landing.
 * Cree Summer as:
 * Skeeter, Scooter's twin sister and co-manager of the Swintrek's landing.
 * An Extreme

Additionally, Taika Waititi would voice Nigel, the over-stressed and coffee-loving head of the Swibpnetrek's control center. Former Muppet performer Frank Oz would provide the vocal effects for the Koozebenian creatures. Idris Elba would voice Bean Bunny, the captain of the Bunnymorrow. Danny Trejo voices Poggy, a mercenary/spy who is accidentally angered by Link's ego. Charles Martinet voices Lobster Polly, Poggy's second in command. Jon Favreau voices Louis Kazagger, a security guard. Zeno Robinson voices Dr. Phil van Neuter, the head of the Swintrek's science division. Conan O'Brian makes a cameo as The Newsman, an intergalactic news reporter. Chris Evans voices Sam Eagle, president of the United States. Dave Goelz would play Waldorf, a heckler, in a live-action sequence in the film's post-credits scene.

Music
Michael Giacchino would compose the score for the film; Giacchino would be brought due to his work on Abrams' Star Trek films. Giacchino would compose a score that would be "mid-Star Trek, mid-Muppets" in order to "catch the tone of the film". Giacchino would compose a "determined and angry" theme for First Mate Piggy, while her theme for Captain Link Hogthrob would be "very pompous". Giacchino would define her theme for Dr. Julius Strangepork as "very cientific and very goofy".

Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, who previously wrote songs for Disney's Winnie the Pooh (2011) and the Frozen franchise, and were set to write songs for the cancelled Muppets TV show Muppets Live Another Day, would write songs for the film. According to Anderson-Lopez, the duo would aim to create songs that were "one third Disney, one third techno, and one third Weird Al" in order for them to fit the film's setting and tone. The duo would also be inspired by their work on the Frozen franchise while writing First Mate Piggy's songs, as they would feel "she's as feminist as Elsa".

Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film would have an approval rating of 90%, with an average rating of 9/10, based on 229 reviews. The website's critical consensus reading, "Action-packed but at the same time keeping that Muppet feel, Pigs in Space follows enough its beloved source material to leave fans with a big smile while also serving as a heartfelt love letter towards space operas, making it the perfect space-ride for all sorts of kids". On Metacritic, the film would have a weighted rating of 75 out of 100, indicating "generally positive reviews".

Trivia

 * This would be the first animated film based on the Muppets.
 * Aside from Alan Tudyk, several voice cast members would have worked on previous Muppet productions: most of the cast would be composed of current Muppet performers, while Frank Oz was a previous Muppet performer, Frank Welker previously did voice work for the shows Muppet Babies (1981-1994) and Little Muppet Monsters, and Ben Diskin and Dee Bradley Baker voiced characters in Muppet Babies (2018-present).

Easter eggs

 * The film would show the official designation of the Swintrek to be "JH-324", a reference to The Muppets' creator Jim Henson and his birth date, September 3, 1936.
 * The film's intro would be a shot-for-shot recreation of the sketch's intro during the first two seasons of The Muppet Show.
 * The control center's team in charge of the Swintrek would be composed of the same in-universe behind the scenes team as Muppets Tonight.
 * Bean Bunny appears as a space captain, much like he did in the first episode of The Jim Henson Hour.
 * One of the members in Bean Bunny's crew is a Muppet version of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
 * As the crew explores the Planet Kaoozebane, audio of the Koozebenians' mating ritual (known as the "Galley-oh-hoop-hoop") would be briefly heard.
 * During the climax, Fozzie throws a penguin at the Swintrek's crew due to having no idea on what to do, calling back to Jim Henson's philodophy regarding how to proceed when having no idea how to (have domething explode, be eaten, or throw penguins).
 * At the start of the film, Piggy would reprimand Captain Link Hogthrob for nearly leaving the Swintrek without enough energy to escape a black hole due to leaving all of his electric objects on, an allusion to the first animated Pigs in Space skeych, featured on the first episode of the short-lived series Little Muppet Monster (1985).