The Muppets are back on the big screen with the all-new caper “Muppets Most Wanted,” creating the musical mayhem that’s made them fan favorites for almost four decades. With songs by Bret McKenzie, who won an Oscar® for the original song “Man or Muppet” in 2011’s “The Muppets,” and a score by Christophe Beck, who’s behind the scores of Disney’s Oscar-winning short “Paperman” and the Golden Globe®-winning, Oscar-nominated hit “Frozen,” the soundtrack features all-star vocalists, including Kermit the Frog, Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell, Tina Fey, Miss Piggy, Josh Groban, Constantine and Celine Dion.
The “Muppets Most Wanted” soundtrack features 20 tracks—including 12 new recordings—plus five bonus tracks. Also featured is score by Beck, who incorporated styles from around the world in a nod to the international locales the Muppets visit in the film. “This score was incredibly fun to write,” said Beck. “With characters spread across the world, there was opportunity after opportunity to explore many musical styles and settings.”
Beck introduced several character themes—Constantine has a Slavic theme, for example, and Kermit and Miss Piggy are accompanied by a love theme (of course) that is an extension of music from “The Muppets.” An 80-piece orchestra was sprinkled with unique instruments, including a banjo, Spanish guitar and a Russian Balalaika. “The real fun was the 20-person Russian male chorus, which is heavily featured,” said Beck.