With Christopher Waltz having dropped out of playing an Interpol agent for the upcoming sequel to Disney’s The Muppets, the movie is still looking to add a star for Jim Henson’s furry friends to make banter with: could Ricky Gervais be the right man for the job? According to recent reports, yes, as The Office creator and three-time Golden Globe Awards host is apparently in talks to lead proceedings for James Bobin and Nicolas Stoller’s follow-up, the tentatively titled The Muppets 2.
Though Ricky Gervais has always been a self-declared lover of The Muppets, he might appear to be an odd choice to take a main role in something like this, though he’s proven on several occasions that he can hold his weight against Jim Henson’s iconic creations, as witnessed when he made a trip to Sesame Street and reduced Elmo to fits of laughter. There’s just something appealing about a middle-aged Englishman shooting the breeze with a ball of fuzz, isn’t there?
Though there’s little known about this sequel so far, it’s confirmed that Jason Segel – who co-wrote and starred in the first outing – won’t be making an appearance, though Bret McKenzie – who won an Oscar for his song “Am I A Man Or A Muppet?” last year – will reportedly return to write a batch of new songs. The plot is rumored to take place in and around Europe, where the Muppets will presumably cause mischief at a number of famous landmarks, all whilst being pursued by an Interpol agent played by Ty Burrell, who is set to take over from Waltz.
What’s expected, then, should this deal go through, are various scenes in which Gervais plays deceptively filthy songs on a guitar, and others in which he insults the Muppets for believing in a higher power and attempts to convert them to atheism.
The Muppets 2 is scheduled for release on 20th December 2013.