Melissa McCarthy is set to star in The Happytime Murders this Summer, which looks like one of the funniest movies that will hit theaters this year. The film features McCarthy and a cast of puppets. She must team up with a puppet detective to get to the bottom of a string of murders. The film is Rated-R, and features the tagline "No sesame. All street." The non-profit organization behind Sesame Street felt some type of way about the slogan, and took The Happytime Murders distributor STX Productions to court.
Sesame Workshop sued STX, claiming that their tagline would confuse the public, and cast a negative light on their family-themed brand. According to TIME, U.S. District Judge Vernon Broderick ruled against Sesame Workshop because he thinks the tagline makes it clear that Sesame Street is not involved in any way. The Happytime Murders is directed by Brian Henson, son of Muppets creator Jim Henson. Brian released a statement via his puppet lawyer Fred, Esq that read, "We fluffing love Sesame Street and we’re obviously very pleased that the ruling reinforced what STX’s intention was from the very beginning—to honor the heritage of The Jim Henson Company’s previous award-winning creations while drawing a clear distinction between any Muppets or Sesame Street characters and the new world Brian Henson and team created.”
The Happytime Murders hits theaters on August 17.
