The Muppet Movie ambition of finding success in professional show business—while being pursued by Doc Hopper, an evil restaurateur with intentions of employing Kermit as a spokesperson for his frog legs business. In addition to the Muppet performers, the film stars Charles Durning and Austin Pendleton, and features cameo appearances by Dom DeLuise, James Coburn, Edgar Bergen, Steve Martin, and Mel Brooks, among others. Notable for its surreal humour, meta-references and prolific use of cameos, "The Muppet Movie" was released in the United Kingdom on May 31, 1979, and in the United States on June 22, 1979, and received critical praise; including two
The Last Movie hit in 1969. Based on the success of "Easy Rider," Universal launched a project to give five young film makers $1 million each, and give them free rein to create a movie with little to no intervention from the studio (as had been done on "Easy Rider"). Given this freedom, Hopper spent much of 1970 in Peru, bringing many of his actor and musician friends to Peru—including singer Kris Kristofferson and director Samuel Fuller—and shooting the film under the working title "Chinchero". With hours and hours of footage, Hopper holed up in his home editing studio in Taos, New Mexico,