The Muppets was one of the best films of last year. An amazing mix of nostalgic respect, unrelenting optimism and brilliant songs that rank among the very best in the franchise. A sequel to such a successful film is inevitable.

The Vulture is reporting that the deal for said sequel has already been made, but one key element of the first film is thus far absent:

[Jason Segel] won’t be returning to the keyboard. Segel, a star of How I Met Your Mother — now in its eighth season — has a burgeoning film career, and Disney insiders tell Vulture that between his commitment to the CBS sitcom, his other feature-writing efforts, and promotional work for Five Year Engagement (due out this coming April) and Judd Apatow’s This Is Forty (in December), there won’t be time to collaborate on a Muppets sequel.

This only means he might not be apart of the writing stage, but with Nicholas Stoller (his original co-writer) and director James Bobin signed on the original flare should still be present. The news also doesn’t mean Segel couldn’t star in the sequel either, so it is possible this is only a minimal, semantics based departure.

So good, potentially great, news for Muppet fans out there, but we hope once they move forward with the movie they bring back Bret McKenzie too. His song stylings fit the Muppets perfectly.

There’s plenty of news developing from Disney’s D23 out of Anaheim, from Johnny Depp showing up dressed as Jack Sparrow to the company releasing just about everything in Digital 3D. What looks to be one of the biggest developments for a Disney property is the amount of things planned for the Muppet franchise, and the direction that the newest film is taking.

Not only is the newest film, The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made, hitting theaters in the next 18 months, but it’s said to be a story that Jim Henson came up with before his death. In the story, Gonzo decides to direct a film with all of his friends, but blows the budget on the opening titles. This would be the first Muppet theatrical release since 1999′s Muppets From Space.

On top of the new film in production, the felt franchise is also planning a new cooking show for the Food Network co-starring Cat Cora and yes, the Swedish Chef! ABC is also scheduling a Muppet Halloween special to air next year, and last year’s TV movie Muppet’s Letters To Santa will finally be getting a DVD release.

Along with the movie and TV news, the Muppets are also getting a revamp in the world of technology. Muppets.com is getting a complete overhaul, to look more like Facebook for the characters. You can also expect to see new iPhone and Blackberry apps that showcase our googly-eyed favorites hitting your device in the next year .

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