Get that felt torso out of the basement freezer. Melissa McCarthy is here to bring an end to the puppet slaughter. Or at least her character aims to track down a serial murderer of puppets in a freshly announced motion picture.
Variety reports that the Spy star is teaming with The Jim Henson Company’s Henson Alternative banner for the cheerfully titled film The Happytime murders. The R-rated comedy sees McCarthy as a human detective paired with a puppet partner with both on the hunt to find out who’s been killing the puppet cast of the now shelved “The Happytime Gang.”
“When a really good script combines puppet strippers, Los Angeles’ underbelly, and comedy, it’s like my fever dream has finally come true,” said McCarthy on blending city scuzz with puppets. Deviant Art probably has some strong suggestions for what those puppet strippers might look like.
The Henson Company has been working on this film for ages, so they’re probably up to speed on what they’d like those felt peelers to appear onscreen. The attempts to develop this project date back to 2008 and Jamie Foxx had his name attached to The Happytime Murders just a year ago. Hopefully the long wait means we’re getting a Meet the Feebies level of puppet movie madness and not overstewed final product. Melissa McCarthy? Jim Henson Company puppets? Murder? Sounds like a promising formula.
(Via Variety)