In a legal documents The Sesame Street Workshop claims the film could cause 'irreparable injury' to the show's brand.
- May 28, 2018
AceShowbiz - The creators of "Sesame Street" are suing the production company behind Melissa McCarthy's new movie for its use of X-rated puppets.
In "The Happytime Murders", McCarthy stars as a detective who teams up with a puppet private eye to track down a serial killer.
The R-rated film was directed by Brian Henson, the son of "Sesame Street" puppeteer Jim Henson, and is described as "a filthy comedy set in the underbelly of Los Angeles where puppets and humans coexist."
The Sesame Street Workshop is suing STX Productions, the production company behind the movie, and claimed the film could cause "irreparable injury" to the show's brand, according to a legal documents obtained by The Blast.
The creators of the iconic children's show also alleged that the film's tagline, "No Sesame, All Street," leads audiences to believe there is a "connection to the show".
They also accused the production company of deliberately misleading audiences into thinking that "The Happytime Murders" is associated with "Sesame Street", and claimed the film "tarnishes Sesame's brand."
In their complaint, the Sesame Street creators said they have spent 50 years building its "reputation for wholesome educational programming," while the trailer for the movie depicts "explicit, profane, drug-using, misogynistic, violent, copulating, and even ejaculating puppets."
They went on to allege that "The Happytime Murders" has "defiled" the image of "Sesame Street".
STX released a statement in response to the lawsuit, and insisted that the puppets in the movie are not associated with the children's show "Sesame Street".
"STX loved the idea of working closely with Brian Henson and the Jim Henson Company to tell the untold story of the active lives of Henson puppets when they're not performing in front of children," it read. "While we're disappointed that Sesame Street does not share in the fun, we are confident in our legal position. We look forward to introducing adult moviegoers to our adorably unapologetic characters this summer."
The "Sesame Street" creators requested that the film pull its advertising, in addition to unspecified damages.
"The Happytime Murders", also starring Joel McHale and Elizabeth Banks, is set to be released in August.
