With as many holiday films and TV shows that the Muppets have starred in since the 1970s, it’s a bit surprising that the puppet ensemble has never been featured in a Halloween special – until now. (Cue maniacal laugh).
In the upcoming TV special Muppets Haunted Mansion, based on a collection of Disney park attractions, daredevil and blue weirdo Gonzo the Great and Pepe the King Prawn take on the greatest challenge of their lives when they agree to spend the night inside a – you guessed it – haunted mansion.
As in most of The Muppets’ big productions, celebrity appearances are not in short supply. This includes cameos by actors Danny Trejo (Machete) and Justina Machado (One Day at a Time). While this will be Machado’s first go-around with The Muppets, Trejo landed a small role in the 2014 sequel Muppets Most Wanted.
This time, Trejo plays a ghost prisoner named Cousin Huet. Dressed in a striped black and white jail uniform, Cousin Huet is introduced by a singing cemetery worker: “Rest in peace, Cousin Huet/We all know you didn’t do it.” “Rest in Peace” is one of the three new original songs in the film. During the same musical number, Machado makes her cameo as one of five nameless, singing stone busts. Other celebrities who join her in the chorus include actor Craig Robinson (Pineapple Express) and game show host Pat Sajak (Wheel of Fortune).
Trejo’s character returns at the end of the special to deliver a request to Gonzo and Pepe before they leave the graveyard. “Bring me some tacos!” he yells. Wait, no tacos in the afterlife? Now, that’s scary.
Muppets Haunted Mansion will premiere exclusively on Disney+ on October 8, 2021.