[Shaun]

Ricky Gervais has announced he is going to star in the next Muppets film.

The comedian tweeted that he will be playing the lead in Disney's sequel to the 2011 movie The Muppets.

He joked: "I have the biggest trailer but Kermit will spend some time in my sink."

The producers of The Muppets, Walt Disney Pictures, have not announced the cast but Ricky Gervais' agent has confirmed he will play a role.

The film is due to start production in January 2013 and will be the first lead role for Ricky Gervais in a feature film since The Invention of Lying in 2009.

Ricky Gervais filmed a cameo appearance for The Muppets, but the scene was cut.

The first film took more than $150m worldwide and won an Oscar for best song at the 2012 Academy Awards.

Man or Muppet was written by the Flight of the Conchords actor Bret McKenzie.

"[Creator] Jim Henson said if the music's too good, it's not right," McKenzie said at the time. "So I took that to heart and kept the songs slightly shambolic.

"Miss Piggy can't sing very high or very low, otherwise she loses the sound of Miss Piggy."