R-Rated Puppet Comedy 'The Happytime Murders' Gets A New Lead In Melissa McCarthy

Published Wed, 03 May 2017 16:15:01 -0500

'The Happytime Murders' concept art from 2012

The idea that R-rated comedies make money is a new one so it's not surprising that a pitch like The Happytime Murders has been in development hell since 2008. It's been picked up and dropped many times with huge names such a Cameron Diaz and Kathryn Heigl rumored to be in talks for the lead role but nothing really happened. There was even concept art that appeared in 2012 showing a puppet murder scene for all to see. Now studios know that with the right name a r-rated comedy can sell and it seems they have found one in Melissa McCarthy.

A summary provided by Collider more or less gives us the short of pitch we're looking at.

The comedy is set in the Los Angeles underbelly where puppets and humans coexist. Two clashing detectives, one human and one puppet, are forced to work together when the former cast of a classic puppet show called The Happytime Gang starts getting murdered one by one.

McCarthy is set produce the movie alongside her husband Ben Falcone. They also have gained screenplay credits along with the original writer Todd Berger and now also Eric and John Hoeber.

"When a really good script combines puppet strippers, Los Angeles' underbelly and comedy, it's like my fever dream has finally come true," McCarthy said of joining the production.

Production on The Happytime Murders is set to begin as early as August with no release date listed as of yet. The Jim Henson Company, On the Day Productions, and STX Films will be producing.

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