'The Muppets': Where's Elmo?

This story originally appeared in the Nov. 25 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.our editor recommends'The Muppets' Premiere Red Carpet Arrivals'The Muppets' at D23: Jason Segel Talks About Their Comedic Influence (Video) Fans of Elmo might be let down to learn that the character does not appear in Disney's Nov. 23 reboot The Muppets. PHOTOS: 'The Muppets' Premiere Red Carpet Arrivals Among the disappointed is star and co-writer Jason Segel, who was rebuffed in ironic fashion. "I wrote a scene where we were trying to get Elmo to be the celebrity host of The Muppet Show, anda team of lawyers tells us no," Segel said Nov. 9 on Ryan Seacrest's radio show. "[Then] that's what actually happened -- a team of lawyers told us Elmo wasn't available." VIDEO: The Muppets' Jason Segel On Future of the Film Franchise Disney bought the Muppets from the Jim Henson estate in 2004, but Sesame Street characters remain with the Children's Television Workshop. Crossovers have occurred, but studio attorneys apparently decided against Elmo. Joked Seacrest, "Can you imagine going to law school, and that's what you're defending?" Disney declined comment. Related Topics Jason Segel The Muppets