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Jason Segel Reveals New Muppets Movie Details

by Alex Billington
March 31, 2008
Source: CHUD, ComingSoon

Somehow we missed this. Back on March 12th, Variety announced that Jason Segel and Nick Stoller, star and director (respectively) of the upcoming comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, would be creating a new Muppets movie. It was somewhat of a shocking announcement, but then again, their movie does feature a few Muppet-infused scenes, including an entire musical number near the end with Jim Henson puppets. If you haven't seen it yet (which most haven't), you will get the joke when you do (it's pretty damn funny). Our friend Devin over at CHUD caught up with Segel over this past weekend in Hawaii and got him to reveal some elements of the story.

The original announcement included sparse details; Segal and Stoller will write the script and Stoller will direct, that was it. In Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Jason Segel, who is an avid Muppets fan in real life, writes a Dracula musical that he performs with puppets that were actually made by the Henson folks. He later pitched the idea for a Muppets movie in a meeting with Disney execs and was hired on the spot. Most initially thought that a Muppets movie made by those two guys might be very edgy or very odd, to say the least, but Segel claims otherwise.

He tells CHUD that their movie "is going to be incredibly old fashioned, with the familiar Muppet characters putting on a show to save an old theater (the theater from The Muppet Show?). The danger? An evil character wants to tear the place down to get at the oil underneath." Sounds pretty classic to me! Unfortunately this might not be their next movie, given Segel and Stoller also scripted a project called The Five Year Engagement, but Devin speculates that it will end up taking priority.

In an interview over at ComingSoon, Segel recalls his love for the Muppets. "I just remember being 10 years old and for me Kermit was Tom Hanks. Kermit is like the original every man and I remember watching the old Muppet with my parents and seeing Peter Sellars and people like that on. I've always had Muppet pictures and figurines all through my house. Now that I'm getting to write it, I feel like all if my dreams are coming true." Segel seems more enthusiastic than anyone about this project, saying that it will be "hilarious, fantastic, heart-wrenching, beautiful, nostalgic and remarkable."

I'm certain almost everyone is already familiar with the Muppets, but if you aren't, shame on you! As a quick refresher, Jim Henson first created the Muppets for a TV show called Sam and Friends in 1955. Since then the Muppets have gone on to appear in The Muppet Show and Sesame Street and over 7 movies. The last Muppets movie was Muppets from Space in 1999 and in 2004 the license for the Muppets was finally sold to Disney.

What are your thoughts - is this going to be something to behold, even 10 years after the last Muppets movie?

Filed under Movie News

From around the web:

REAL6

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW MAN, I HOPE THEY DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it!!!!!!!!!!!
Nick

I always loved the Muppets when I was little and enjoyed all the movies, so I'm glad to hear they're gonna come back, and Segel sounds like he'll make the movie good just from the passion he seems to have for them.
Alfredo

muppets! Sweet. Jason Segal is just plain cool.
Alfredo

*Segel
Jeff

The Muppets are classic characters that can and would succeed with the right project. This sounds like a step in the right direction. He's got a great story idea that plays to the Muppets strengths. They have been out public eye for awhile and Disney hasn't done much with them since they got the rights...but I hope it gets made. I would go see that movie and take my daughter. While they’re at it, get to work on that Dark Crystal sequel too.
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

I love the Muppets as a kid. Can't wait !
coyo

gonzo is the man thing whatever
http://www.apollospad.com Emma_apollo's_pad

This sounds so cool. We love the muppets - It's high time they produced another classic! This level of classic status is worth aspiring to.
aleisha

Disney did a Muppet movie "The Muppets Wizard of Oz" with Aashanti. It was so awful that I (an avid Muppets fan of 25 years now) turned it off about 15 minutes in. I adore the Muppets and Disney really killed the movie franchise part of it for me. Hopefully Segal can revive it! I love him and look forward to seeing the Muppets go back to their roots as it seems he is attempting to do.
Erik

As far as future movie ideas go, I REALLY hope they return back to the concept that the Muppets live in a Muppet world with Human guests, NOT a Human world with Muppet guests. I always thought that the best Muppet movies/shows were the ones that let us relax completely in the Muppet fantasy. Although movies like 'Muppets Take Manhattan' had good stuff going for it, don't you think it was strange in a distracting way for everything to be human around them. And don't you think it would have been WAY cooler if the movie was set a Muppet World's New York with human guests? Think of the world created in 'Muppets Christmas Carol'! Also, I really hope they keep the jokes and material appropriate for all ages, as that has been the point of the Muppets from the beginning, something that everyone can enjoy. While it can take more effort to do this well, it would be worth it. However, from their choice in people working on this movie, I suspect that they may try to make more Adult Muppet stuff, which is frankly, weird. Weird in a bad way, not a Gonzo way.
jamie

oh man hope it dosent take to long, and i hope bunsen and beaker are in it, they usually are but they never get really good roles it's a shame i'll settle for just beaker though he's awsome! i cant understand how the newer generation doesnt even know what muppets are im 16 and alot of my frieands dont know hopefully this will bring them back, by the way..... if the movie is about them trying to save a theature and it happens to be the muppet thearure from the show, i wonder if this movie is actually a way to get the muppet show back i mean COME ON!! sesame street is still on in my opinion muppets is way better!!!!
Carolyn Richardson

I, too, look forward to a new Muppet movie, but I would really like to see Jason Segel's full Dracula musical done as a play or a movie. I think it would be awesome!!!!