While all the talk over the last day or so at the mouse house has been about Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm and the revitalization of the "Star Wars" movie franchise, 'Episode VII' isnt' expected to hit until 2015. So until that happens, Disney will have to continue to make shareholders happy and exploit the brands they do have ready to go. "The Muppets" are gearing up for a return to the big screen, and the film has landed its first big name.
Christoph Waltz will be introduced to your little children, as THR reports he's in negotiations for the one of the handful of substantial human roles in the followup, which also boasts a plethora of cameos. Plot details are under wraps of course, but Waltz would play an Interpol inspector, with actors being sought for the parts of a Russian femme fatale and another male lead "whose intentions are always in question." Okay, then. Anything else we know this point is fairly minimal, but James Bobin and Nicholas Stoller (who co-wrote the first film with Jason Segel) are writing the script, with the former back to direct as well. Meanwhile, any thoughts you might have of Jason Segel coming back have been quashed, as he already said long ago that he won't be returning, not even for a cameo.
It's yet another casting move for Waltz, who continues to stack up project after project. He's currently shooting Terry Gilliam's "The Zero Theorem," will be seen in December in "Django Unchained" and lends his voice to the animated "Epic," which arrives next spring. With a seemingly eclectic spirit in choosing films, we await whatever curveball Waltz throws at us next.