Move over Tom Cruise, it’s time for “The Muppets” to steal the limelight at this year’s Dubai International Film Festival.
 
The first big-screen adventure of the Muppets in 12 years will be the red carpet gala for the festival’s Cinema for Children programme, leading a line-up of four special family films screening from December 7 to 14, 2011.
 
Directed by James Bobin, the first Disney-produced Muppet film stars everyone’s favourite Kermit the Frog, who will be joined by femme fatale Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal, Scooter among other Muppets.
 
Also starring in the film is Jason Segel, three-time Academy Award nominee Amy Adams, Academy Award Winner Christopher Cooper and Rashida Jones.
 
Cooper plays oilman Tex Richman, who plans to raze the Muppet Theatre after discovering oil beneath it.
 
The world’s biggest Muppet fan, Walter, his brother Gary (Segel) and Gary’s girlfriend Mary (Adams) try to stop Richman by staging The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever to raise $10 million.
 
To do that, they first have to reunite the Muppets. The film will be the Festival’s Cinema for Children red carpet gala screening on December 9.
 
It is yet unclear which A-list celebs from the film will walk red carpet with the Muppets.
 
Alongside “The Muppets”, the Cinema for Children segment also includes Oliver Deickmann’s “When Santa Fell to Earth” and Christian Ditter’s “Wickie and The Treasure of the Gods”, both making their international premieres at DIFF; and Arne Toonen’s “Chubby Drums” and Sarah Smith’s “Arthur Christmas”, both screening for the first time in the Middle East.
 
Out vote for the festive season goes to the CG-animated, 3D family comedy, “Arthur Christmas” and “When Santa Fell to Earth”, based on Cornelia Funke’s book.
 
The former film reveals the answer to every child’s question: How does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?
 
The film follows the youngest Claus, who must use his father’s high-tech operation to deliver all the presents before Christmas morning. With voices by James McAvoy, Laura Linney, Hugh Laurie and Joan Cusack among others, “Arthur Christmas” illustrates how at even the heart of North Pole lies a family in a state of amusing dysfunction. The film will be a special presentation at the Madinat Arena on Saturday, December 10.
 
Meanwhile, family adventure film “When Santa Fell to Earth” begins when the last real Santa crash lands onto their street in the middle of a thunderstorm just before Christmas, on the run from the ruthless Goblynch and his army of nutcrackers. His reindeer is missing, and he joins forces with two children, a dog and a group of elves to save Christmas, as we know it.
 
The five children’s films are open to all ages; the DIFF Box Office opens online next week at www.dubaifilmfest.com.