The Muppets are like Godfathers of the entertainment world. If they make you an offer of a part in their film it's hard to refuse. And so,
Ricky Gervais and
Emily Blunt are the latest to answer the call, joining the ever-growing list of celebrity cameo appearances in the
Jason Segel/Nicholas Stoller celebratory and nostalgic movie according to reports at
THR. Ricky Gervais is not really a surprise for this. The guy is just a big kid at heart and already 'friends' with part of the wider Muppet family, kiddie favourite Elmo... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr9_5uZn6ds and Emily Blunt has already appeared with Segel in the upcoming
Gulliver's Travels, and Segel originally tried to nab her for
Get Him To The Greek too.
As reported before,
Jason Segel,
Amy Adams,
Rashida Jones and
Chris Cooper fill the principal human roles alongside the Muppet gang with what seems like the rest of Hollywood dropping in to show their support at one time or another.
Alan Arkin, Jack Black, Billy Crystal, Zach Galifianakis, Jean-Claude Van Damme, among many others are expected to cameo. I am not ashamed to say that I adored the muppets as a kid, indeed I still have an old, slowly balding Fozzie Bear that has managed to survive the past 31 years in my possession. I kinda hoped someone would come along and give these beloved characters a new lease of life longer than I care to mention. I hope they get this right and that it marks the start of a series of original adventures from the felt fellows.
James Bobin (Flight of the Conchords) directs the Christmas 2011 film.