Posted: 15 Nov 2010 09:27 PM PST

"The Muppets" stars Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy are getting four more funny co-stars in addition to leading man Jason Segel.

Billy Crystal, Jack Black, Zach Galifianakis and Oscar winner Alan Arkin have all agreed to make cameo appearances in the Disney movie, which will also briefly feature The Muscles From Brussels himself, action hero Jean-Claude Van Damme, an individual involved in the production has confirmed to TheWrap.

Deal Central recenty reported that Danny Trejo and "Community" star Donald Glover will also make cameos, with the latter actor having already shot a scene as a junior executive at ABC.

Amy Adams, Chris Cooper and Rashida Jones were previously cast in key live-action roles.

Arkin will play a tour guide, Black a kidnap victim and Galifianakis a hobo, while Segel will play a man who reunites the Muppets and helps them put on a show in order to save a movie studio.

Folks, I'm sure the "Muppets" movie is going to be a rousing success under the direction of James Bobin (HBO's inventive "Flight of the Conchords"), but only in Hollywood are Gonzo and the gang getting back together in order to ultimately save … a movie studio.

It's a little too "Hollywood" of a problem, but I have faith in Segel and Nicholas Stoller as screenwriters, even though their prior collaborations, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "Get Him to the Greek," (both of which I liked, except for the latter's last act) also shared that "insider-y" issue.

It's less a criticism than a simple observation, and judging from the cast that has been assembled, the "Muppets" movie will surely delight audiences when it hits theaters next Christmas, but still, I have to admit that I was surprised to learn that the Muppets' end goal would be to save a movie studio, as if that's the worst possible thing that could be put into jeopardy. Will kids really be sitting there hoping the movie studio gets saved so it can keep making movies like the one they just saw and (hopefully) loved?

Meanwhile, Deal Central previously wrote that Jane Lynch would cameo in the "Muppets" movie (reportedly as a prison guard keeping an eye on Trejo's character), however TheWrap has learned that scheduling issues prevented the actress from appearing in the film, which is currently shooting in Los Angeles.

The Hollywood Reporter first reported that Arkin, Crystal and Van Damme had joined the cast of the "Muppets" movie.

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'Muppets' Movie Attracts Lady Gaga and Other Big Names - Gather.com

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 07:15 AM PST

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Developers to negotiate redevelopment of downtown movie theater into housing - San Jose Mercury News

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 10:46 PM PST

LONG BEACH: Conversion process depends on issue of parking, but city staff backs residential usage.

The Long Beach Redevelopment Agency on Monday agreed to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Pacific Court Pine Square Partners to negotiate the potential redevelopement of the AMC Theaters into housing. (Brittany Murray / Press Telegram)

LONG BEACH - Eighteen years ago, residents welcomed AMC Pine Square 16 Theatres to downtown as a retail anchor of a mixed-use project in the center of Pine Avenue.

Now the developer, Pacific Court-Pine Square Partners, is looking to convert the theater into 68 homes.

But it will have to address its parking and other agreements with the city and Long Beach Redevelopment Agency before moving forward, a process that can now begin, thanks to redevelopment leaders.

Agency board members Monday authorized Executive Director Amy Bodek to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the developer to negotiate the redevelopment of the property.

The memo allows the agency and the developer to deal with the many contracts associated with the development of the theater.

For example, the current theater parking agreement with the agency mandates code-required parking related to the theater and other uses. If the theater space is converted into residential units, the agreement is dissolved and the agency would not provide parking for Pine Court.

The developer wants to turn the subterranean garage into a private garage, but the Communities Facilities District in place at the property requires that the garage remain public.

If the developer wants to make the garage private, it's going to have to repay the bond on it, valued at about $10 million, said Redevelopment Project Officer Carl Morgan.

One of the region's largest

theaters at the time, AMC Pine Square 16 Theatres opened to much fanfare in December 1992. AMC officials expected the theater complex to draw 30,000 people each week to downtown, according to a 1992 Press-Telegram article.

The theater anchors the $44 million mixed-use project in the 200 block of Pine Avenue that included 142 apartment units and a collection of retail and restaurants such as 1950s-style hamburger shop Johnny Rocket's.

To many, the theater signified new life to a Pine Avenue flailing in an economic downturn and city and business officials hoped the theater would attract more customers to the downtown area.

But as newer theaters have come online and storefronts have closed, AMC Pine Square became less of a go-to theater for consumers.

With AMC Theatres' lease with the developer set to expire Dec. 31, 2012, the developer looked at ways to re- imagine the site.

But installing another retailer in the theater space has proven difficult, said Morgan, adding that the city worked closely with the owner to look for tenants.

"We looked at the theater space, trying to maintain that commercial component," Morgan said. "We looked at a fitness center and a number of different things, but to date we've just been unable in finding someone that would occupy that kind of difficult space."

Converting it into residential units seemed to be Pacific Court-Pine Square Partners' best option, city officials said.

The developer seeks to turn the second-floor theater into 68 residential units (most of them open floor plans), adding to the 142 units already there.

The developer also wants to eliminate the escalator leading to the theater, convert the ground-floor,

543-square-foot box office into potential commercial space and improve the courtyard area.

The remaining retail would continue to operate in the space surrounding the theater.

karen.robes@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1303

Movie Film New Release

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

“Jack Black & Zach Galifianakis Join Disney's 'Muppets' Movie - TheWrap” plus 2 more

“Jack Black & Zach Galifianakis Join Disney's 'Muppets' Movie - TheWrap” plus 2 more

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