The Muppets film, "Muppets from Space", released by Columbia Pictures in 1999. In 2000, Henson was sold to EM.TV & Merchandising AG for $680 million. However, EM.TV was plagued with financial problems and the Henson family re-acquired the company in 2003, with the exception of the rights to the "Sesame Street" characters, which had been sold by EM.TV to Sesame Workshop. Fourteen years after initial negotiations began, Disney acquired the Muppets intellectual property from the Jim Henson Company for $75 million on February 17, 2004. The acquisition consisted of the Muppets and "Bear in the Big Blue House" properties, as well as
The Muppets which were similar in format to "The Muppet Show", and three films: "The Muppet Christmas Carol" (1992), "Muppet Treasure Island" (1996), and "Muppets from Space" (1999). Disney acquired the Muppets in February 2004, allowing the characters to gain broader public exposure than in previous years. Under Disney, the Muppets achieved revitalized success, starring in two films - "The Muppets" (2011) and "Muppets Most Wanted" (2014) - as well as a short-lived primetime television series on ABC and a reboot of the "Muppet Babies" animated series. Throughout their six-decade career, the Muppets have been regarded as a staple of the entertainment