Mah Na Mah Nope!
The Church of Scientology is finalizing its purchase of the historic studio lot that housed the Muppets for over 23 years, according to a report.
The Henson family announced over the summer that they were selling the landmark lot — once home to Charlie Chaplin Studios — which will now be part of the ever-expanding Church of Scientology.
It is unclear what use the Church will find for a studio that traces its history to the Golden Age of Hollywood. The Muppets Studio will reportedly remain a tenant at the site.
The Church of Scientology owns millions of square feet in real estate assets across the country – including more than two dozen buildings in Hollywood.
The group has also made headlines by scooping up 68 parcels of land at the “church’s spiritual headquarters” in Clearwater, Florida.
The historic Hollywood studio was first established by Charlie Chaplin in 1919. Chaplin used the lot — located right off Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood — to create some of his most iconic films, including “The Dictator,” “The Kid,” “Modern Times” and “The Circus”.
An homage to Chaplin could be found at the door of the Henson-owned lot in the form of a 12-foot-tall statue of Kermit the Frog dressed as Chaplin’s Tramp.
Los Angeles declared the 80,000-square-foot lot a Historic-Cultural Monument in 1969.
After Chaplin, the studio would become the home of A&M Records founded by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. The recording studio, which remains on the property, was used for numerous popular albums including Lady Gaga’s “Chromatica,” The Weeknd’s “Dawn FM,” Frank Ocean’s “Blonde,” and Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories.”
Selling the studio is part of a larger plan announced by the Disney-owned Jim Henson Company to house its entire operation under one roof — combining a production studio with their Burbank-based Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.