Yes, there is another reason to see "The Muppets" later this month, and it has nothing to do with the return of those felt covered friends to the big screen. While "Toy Story 3" was at least the end of the feature length franchise (for now), it has continued on in the form of short films that will continue the adventures of Buzz, Woody and the rest of the gang. This summer saw the toys return in "Hawaiian Vacation," preceding "Cars 2" and now, they've got a whole new tale to tell in "Small Fry," and it looks like the pint sized heroes are getting even smaller. Or at least one of them is.
USA Today has the first look at the short film and no, this isn't "Honey I Shrunk Buzz Lightyear." Angus MacLane, a longtime member of the Pixar art department who also helmed the short "Burn-E" on the "Wall-E" DVD, helms the seven-minute tale that has Buzz Lightyear getting kidnapped and left behind at a fast-food restaurant by a pint-sized Happy Meal toy who yearns for a more exciting life. Pixar director Teddy Newton ("Day & Night") voices the smaller sized Buzz, with some new voices entering the mix, inlcuding Jane Lynch as a Mermaid. But the regular folks like Tom Hanks, John Ratzenberger (Hamm) and Joan Cusack (Jessie) are back as well.
"It's like the 'Prince and the Pauper' tale for toys," says MacLane. "Except one of them happens to be 3 inches tall."
You can see "Small Fry" with "The Muppets" when it opens on November 23rd. High-res pics below courtesy of Stitch Kingdom.
