THE MUPPETS Sequel Reportedly Moving Forward Without Jason Segel

A recent report reveals that James Bobin and screenwriter Nicholas Stoller have penned a deal for a followup to last year's successful relaunch of the Muppets film franchise but also state that Segel will not be joining them.

According to The Vulture blog, Kermit the Frog, Ms. Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal and the rest of the late Jim Hensen's Muppets are prepping to return in a sequel to 2011's widely praised film The Muppets. Both director Bobin and co-writer Stoller have come to an agreement with Walt Disney Pictures take up their duties for the followup, but the site goes on to say that Jason Segel is not attached.

This may come as a big surprise to some considering it was Segel's push since 2008 to bring the Muppets back to the big screen after an extended absence. Jim Henson's clan of beloved puppets have stayed out of the spotlight for over a decade, being featured in a handful of direct-to-video releases but nothing widely promoted by the studio. Segel's pitch to Disney was finally greenlit a few years ago, and he busied himself with co-writing the script -- a story that featured him as a human named Gary whose best friend is a newly introduced Muppet named Walter -- and bringing aboard other cast members including Amy Adams and Bret Mckenzie.

Although The Muppets movie was not a box office sensation, it was very well received by audiences and critics and helped Disney rekindle the brand's pop culture success. Mckenzie recently won an Oscar for the tune 'Man or Muppet' in the Best Original Song category of the 84th Annual Academy Awards. Vulture goes on to say that, while no deal is currently in the works, Segel may return to star in the film pending approval of the completed screenplay. The Muppets Movie was in theaters on November 23rd, 2011, and will be available to own on Blu-ray and DVD later this month.