From left, Segal; Frog.Photos: Getty Images
Judd Apatow’s Comedy Complex Exhausts Funny Human Ideas, Extends Reach to Muppets
Apatow Protégés Conquer Muppets: Jason Segel and Nick Stoller will write the next Muppets movie for Disney. Apparently, Segel’s character in the upcoming Apatow-produced Forgetting Sarah Marshall writes an all-puppet musical, which (seriously) was enough for Disney to dust off Kermit the Frog, who is “very excited to be working again.†Added an excited Swedish Chef, “Bork bork bork!†[Variety]
Minnesota Twins Are Back: Every generation has a defining moment that’s engraved in the national psyche, whether it be landing a man on the moon or the crumbling of the Berlin wall. On this most glorious day, the CW has announced a contemporary spinoff of Beverly Hills 90210. Rob Thomas, creator of Veronica Mars, is in discussions to write the pilot, presumably called 902102, which promises to be the best show ever made by anyone, ever, until it starts to suck after Brenda leaves. Go ahead and quote us on that, the CW! [HR]
Bird Back to Warner in 1906: Pixar’s golden boy, Brad Bird, has signed on to direct the live-action San Francisco earthquake drama 1906 for Warner Bros. Looks like someone finally sacked up and decided to win a “grown-up†Oscar! According to the Hollywood Reporter, “1906 will mark a return for Bird to the studio that released his 1999 film The Iron Giant.†And by “released,†they mean, “released into a toilet which we immediately flushed into the sewer, even though the movie was fantastic.†[HR]
Perrotta Makes a Wish: Warner Independent has optioned Tom Perrotta’s quirky romantic-comedy novel, The Wishbones — a.k.a. The Last Remaining Unoptioned Tom Perrotta Novel — for Little Miss Sunshine producers Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa. Novel focuses on a “30-year-old failed musician who lives with his parents in New Jersey.†Pic should find broad appeal among 30-year-old failed musicians who live with their parents in New Jersey,†or roughly every guy in the state except Springsteen and Bon Jovi. [HR]
Punch and Sharp Ride: The Class’s Lucy Punch and Undeclared’s Tim Sharp have signed on to 1%, Michael Tolkin’s motorcycle-gang drama for HBO. We’re reasonably sure that Punch and Sharp will play identical twins. [HR]
Happy Days are Here Again: Joey Sorge, of Broadway’s The Drowsy Chaperone and Thoroughly Modern Millie, will play The Fonz in the full production of Goodspeed’s Happy Days: A New Musical. He joins a cast of unknowns including Sandra Denise and Rory O’Malley. Sound exciting? Have fun driving to East Haddam, Connecticut. Suckah! [Playbill]