News > Segel and Stoller Bring Back The Muppets

Written by David Morgan

Two of Judd Apatow's young proteges, Jason Segel (Knocked Up, writer-star of Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Nick Stoller (director of Sarah Marshall), have been hired by Disney to create the next Muppet movie. The duo will write the screenplay together and Stoller will direct.

According to Variety, this idea came about during the filming of Sarah Marshall. In that film (out April 18th), Segel's character "writes a "Dracula" musical performed by puppets. Those cloth creatures were custom-made by the Henson puppeteers, and the experience emboldened Segel to pitch his concept for a Muppets movie."

There hasn't been a theatrical Muppets movie since 1999's Muppets from Space, though there have been two made-for-TV movies (It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz). No word yet on the title or premise.

Segel and Stoller also have another Apatow-produced comedy on their plate called Five-Year Engagement. There's no word on which they'll go after first.