Late last week, Walt Disney Studios announced that it was bringing the Muppets back to the big screen in a new original film. What was most surprising was that Jason Segel, the first-time screenwriter and lead of the upcoming R-rated comedy "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and star of TV's "How I Met Your Mother," is going to write it. It just so happened I was scheduled to sit down with Segel to talk about "Marshall" the following day. More about our "Marshall" discussion will be revealed over the next few weeks, but the story on how he landed this new Muppet gig had to be shared.

One of the funniest and bizarre parts of "Marshall" involves some original puppets that were designed by Henson Studios, the birthplace of the Muppets. Segel, a huge Muppet fan since he was a kid, says, "To me, Kermit was the original Tom Hanks. He was the everyman."

It was during a tour of Henson's facility that Segel noticed there weren't any Muppets lying around. When he discovered the rights to the characters had been sold to Disney, he admittedly became upset, but it also prompted him into action.

"I did a weird, ballsy move," Segel says. "My first move, now that I'm successful, was to call Disney and tell them I wanted to write the new Muppet movie. People thought I was nuts. It was met with silence and a weird spattering of laughter. And I was like, 'No, I'm serious, guys.'"

Segel did a pitch in person and the studio bought it right in the room (rare these days). He notes, "I think they were excited and sort of shocked someone came in. It's not like they were looking for someone to write the new Muppet movie."

He wouldn't give the plot details away, but his goal is to revitalize the franchise for all ages.

"The old Muppet movies were written as though they were proper movies," Segel says. "They weren't novelty acts because there were puppets in it. It was like Kermit trying to put on a big Broadway musical in 'The Muppets Take Manhattan.' Or 'The Great Muppet Caper'? Come on! Charles Grodin is so good in it. I want to bring it back to that. Like those early '80s movies with a proper plot and it's the Muppets putting on a show. It's not a hard formula."

When the flick is going to happen is the biggest question. Segel has another Apatow comedy booked for next year's "Mother" hiatus, "Five-Year Engagement," and isn't sure if he'd star in the new Muppet flick. So, at this point, it's probably at least two years away. Now, Segel and his writing partner, Nick Stoller, have to fashion a workable screenplay, but, based on his enthusiasm and talent, this might be one project to look out for.

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