DVDizzy Forum

Welcome foolish mortals to #MuppetsHauntedMansion! Our all-new @DisneyPlus Original Special is streaming this fall. #HalfwayToHalloween

Q: Does anyone know if this is based on the original Muppets Haunted House script by Kirk Thatcher and Jim Lewis (which was meant to be a special in the late '90s, but then became the Muppet Monster Adventure video game)?

Kirk Thatcher: It is not! Wholly new and original idea and script!!

Q: I’m so looking forward to Muppets Haunted Mansion on Disney+. But is there any word of Rizzo the Rat being involved? The character hasn’t been seen in anything other than Muppet Babies in recent years, and he seems like he would be perfect for this special.

Matt Webb Mitovich: See, now this is the sort of unusual question I live for! So I asked around, and I can confirm that eagle-eyed viewers may catch a glimpse of Rizzo during a spooktacular, show-stopping musical number.

The original performer of Rizzo the Rat was Steve Whitmire, who was fired from the Muppets a few years ago (Whitmire may be better known for inheriting Kermit after Jim Henson’s death, so his departure also explains why Kermit currently sounds so weird). This is why Rizzo hasn’t been featured much outside of background shots recently: after a Muppet’s original performer is gone, the character is either retired or picked up by a new performer. I guess no current Muppet performer has been willing/able to pick up Rizzo full-time (yet) since Whitmire left. Hopefully that will change!