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Actor Jason Segel co-wrote and starred in last year's The Muppets, which, after being the first Muppets movie in over ten years, quickly became the most successful Muppets movie ever made. Discussion of a sequel naturally followed, but reportedly without Segel's involvement, as neither a writer nor as an actor.
Segel's stepping away seemed curious, since his co-writer — Forgetting Sarah Marshall director Nicholas Stoller — is on board to return as well as director James Bobin. However, in an interview with Collider, Segel confirmed that he will not work on the sequel, claiming that he wanted to "pursue more human-related projects."
read segel's comments >> Posted 03.05.12 by Ryan -
Last time Judd Apatow and Paul Feig worked together, excluding Feig's cameo in Knocked Up as a fantasy baseball obsessive, they put together the cult TV show Freaks and Geeks. THR reports that the the two writer-directors will reteam for an untitled comedy starring Kristen Wiig.
The marital comedy will follow two women battling to plan their friend's wedding in a script written by Wiig and Annie Mumolo. Feig will direct the movie, while Apatow will produce.
According to New York Magazine, Universal originally attempted to hire Flight of the Conchords co-creator James Bobin to direct the movie — then titled Bridesmaids — but Bobin chose to helm the upcoming Muppets movie instead.
Posted 02.18.10 by Ryan -
Last week, Flight of the Conchords co-creator James Bobin was announced as the director of Disney's upcoming Muppet Movie, which was titled The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made.
Now, a new piece of news from Muppetland: The title is changing. The Playlist writes that a source confirmed it's now The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time. Said unknown source also provided a brief synopsis of the script, written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller:
The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time is about Gary, Mary, and Walter (a man, his girlfriend, and the man's life-long nondescript, brown puppet best friend) getting the old Muppet gang — now retired entertainers known for the same Muppet show we know them from — together to save the TV studio that the original show was shot in. A villain, Tex Richman (nice name, on par with Doc Hopper), bent on drilling for oil underneath the studio, is due to take over the studio in weeks and the only way to stop him? Putting on a show that draws ten million viewers (see also "Heartbroken: The Conan O'Brien Story").
Sounds a bit formulaic (an oil-greedy tycoon named Tex Richman?), but it should have a good bit of nostalgia and offer some fun opportunities for re-exploring the Muppets in their heyday. The mysterious source's evaluation?
It's a solid attempt at recapturing what made The Muppet Show and the first two Muppet movies so great, but The Great Muppet Movie of All Time is no Great Muppet Caper ... but it is a fresh, younger approach. Stoller and Segel have fun with the characters, are aware of what made the Muppet early years so great.... But what their script lacks (oddly enough, this being a Muppet movie and all) is forward pulse.
We'll have to wait and see what the final product looks like. Disney plans to go into production this summer. In the meantime, enjoy the Swedish Chef, Animal, and Beaker singing "Danny Boy."
Posted 02.10.10 by reelz -
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Flight of the Conchords co-creator James Bobin will take the reins on Disney's upcoming Muppet movie. Apparently, Bobin had his pick of directing either the Muppet movie or the Judd Apatow comedy Bridesmaids, and he went withthe former.
Originally, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were going to take on the project, but they instead opted to go for Sony's upcoming re-make of 21 Jump Street, the '80s TV show that kickstarted Johnny Depp's career.
The script for the yet-to-be-titled Muppet movie was penned by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller. Plot details are under wraps, and no release date or star appearances have been announced.
Posted 01.31.10 by reelz