Jason Segel Lights the Lights

For Jason Segel, it all started with a Dracula puppet.

As most people are aware, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (which Segel wrote, as well as starred in) ends with the hero Peter Bretter realizing his dream of producing a "Dracula" musical...starring puppets.

What people might not know, is that this little Jim Henson homage helped Segel realize one of his dreams: Working with the actual, real-life, honest-to-God Muppets. The writer/actor/producer is currently hard at work bringing a brand new Muppet movie to the big screen.

Segel, who’s worshipped Henson’s fabled felt heroes since childhood, tells PopcornBiz that he’s been overwhelmed sharing the soundstage with them while shooting their big comeback film.

“We remade the original Muppet Theater, and I walked into that set and I lost my sh*t,” Segel says. “It was insane! And we recorded 'The Muppet Show' theme song for the first time since the 1970s. That was crazy!”

Segel also explains that, even though intellectually he’s aware that he’s actually working with the Muppets’ legendary puppeteers, it doesn’t take long before he relating to Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and the rest of the gang as though they’re real.

“What's amazing – and you see it most in children, but adults do it as well – you do not look at the puppeteer after about five seconds,” Segal laughs. “The guy is standing right there, but your eyes are locked on the puppet. It's crazy – everyone becomes a child around Kermit.”

"The Muppets" will retake theaters this fall...

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