Elizabeth Banks Joins 'Happytime Murders'!

Elizabeth Banks has joined the cast of The Happytime Murders!

The Hunger Games and star posted this photo to her facebook page yesterday ahead of the official announcement:

Banks joins the above pictured Melissa McCarthy and the recently announced Maya Rudolph on the puppet-noir comedy. 

The Hollywood Reporter revealed new details about the characters they would be portraying as well as which longertime Muppet performer will be leading the nonhuman cast:

In the pic, McCarthy portrays lead detective Connie Edwards opposite longtime Henson puppeteer Bill Barretta, who performs as Phil Phillips, the puppet detective. Banks plays Jenny, a burlesque dancer, and Rudolph plays Bubbles, Phil’s secretary.

Banks is no stranger to working with the Muppets. She appeared both in the pilot presentation and the 1st episode of ABC's short lived the muppets, and will be seen in an upcoming segment on Sesame Street. 

I got to briefly talk to Happy Time's director, Brian Henson at The Muppets Hollywood Bowl show who said after the first week of filming that the film was "Hilarious."

We'll see if that's the case when The Happytime Murders is released August 17, 2018.

Maya Rudolph Joins Happytime Murders!

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Maya Rudolph has joined The Happytime Murders. 

As previously reported, Rudolph will be joined by her Bridesmaids co-star Melissa McCarthy who is also producing the film via her On the Day Productions along with husband Ben Falcone. 
Brian Henson will be directing as producing alongside Jeffrey Hayes, Lisa Henson and John W. Hyde executive producing through the Jim Henson Company’s Henson Alternative banner.
The film is currently set for release on August 17, 2018.

"Happytime Murders" Gets a Release Date!

If the recent announcement that Melissa McCarthy had signed on to star in The Happytime Murders wasn't enough to convince you that the Henson company's long-in development feature was actually happening, how about a release date?

Yes that's right, STX films announced late Friday night that we will finally get to see Brian Henson's puppet-noir when it's released on August 17, 2018.

Melissa McCarthy Signs On For ‘Happytime Murders’!

It looks like the Henson Company's long-gestating film The Happytime Murders will actually get made.

According to Variety the film is set to begin production this August with Melissa McCarthy attached to star, help with script revisions and, along with her husband Ben Falcone, produce.

Brian Henson is set to direct the comedy under The Jim Henson Company’s Henson Alternative banner along with production companies On the Day Productions, and STXfilms. Producers are Brian Henson, Jeffrey Hayes, McCarthy, and Ben Falcone. Lisa Henson and John W. Hyde will executive produce.

A Deadline article from 2015 stated that "the story follows puppet stars of an iconic TV show The Happytime Gang who are some of the biggest celebrities around. But off-camera, the family-friendly cast leads the kinds of lives that would make a tabloid writer blush. When the Happytime Gang stars begin to be mysteriously murdered, two mismatched detectives – one a type-A, take-no-prisoners human with a secret and the other a crass, hard-drinking puppet with a connection to one of the victims – must put aside their huge differences to stop the killings and catch the culprit, all the while trying to resist the temptation to murder each other."

When asked about the film, McCarthy said “When a really good script combines puppet strippers, Los Angeles’ underbelly, and comedy, it’s like my fever dream has finally come true,”

Last year it was reported that Jamie Foxx was considering the leading role.

STX Films Chairman Adam Fogelson said, “Melissa McCarthy is the reigning queen of comedy and we believe she will make ‘The Happytime Murders’ the kind of hysterical, edgy, viral event that audiences today crave. This is the kind of script and material that was made for Melissa’s smart and boundary-pushing sensibilities. Having worked with her years ago on ‘Bridesmaids’ and ‘Identity Thief,’ I could not be more delighted or excited to be working with her again.”

Jamie Foxx May Star In ‘The Happytime Murders’!

Way back in July in was announced that the Jim Henson Company's long gestating project The Happytime Murders was finally being put in active development at STX Entertainment.

Now word is getting out that Jamie Foxx is in early negotiations to star in the R-rated film to be directed by Brian Henson.

From Deadline, "The story follows puppet stars of an iconic TV show The Happytime Gang who are some of the biggest celebrities around. Off-camera, however, the family-friendly cast leads the kinds of lives that would make a tabloid writer blush. When the Happytime Gang stars begin to be mysteriously murdered, two mismatched detectives – one a type-A, take-no-prisoners human with a secret and the other a crass, hard-drinking puppet with a connection to one of the victims – must put aside their differences to stop the killings and catch the culprit, all the while trying to resist the temptation to murder each other.

If he takes the role, Foxx would play LAPD Detective Edwards, the clean cut LAPD cop who must re-team with his former partner Phil, a drinker and philanderer." 

According to the A.V. Club, "The film is being pitched as a gritter, less family friendly turn for The Jim Henson Company, with one of the original screenwriters saying back in 2009 that Henson had told him to include “all the puppet sex, violence, and cursing you can put in there” in his script. And while that script has since been rewritten by Red writing team Jon and Erich Hoeber, it still sounds like Henson is aiming to wrack up a pretty heavy “bodily fluid removal” cleaning bill for his debauched puppet protagonists."

"Happytime Murders" In Active Development at STX!

Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter are well, reporting, that the long in development, adult Henson comedy "Happytime Murders" is again moving forward, this time at STX Entertainment. 

The film, though currently untitled, will combine live-action and puppets with a "black comedy twist" and will likely get an R rating. Brian Henson is still attached to direct.

"Happtime" has been developing since 2008 and in 2010 Lionsgate bought the rights to the Black List script. Apparently trying to find a human star in the hybrid puppet-human story proved too problematic and the rights reverted back to Henson.

The story is by Todd Berger & Dee Robertson with revisions that have been done by Erich and Jon Hoeber (Red and Red 2). Apparently the team at STX fell in love with the script. Brian Henson noted that the movie will “take puppets to a place where we have never gone before on the big screen. We are thrilled that Adam Fogelson and his folks at STX showed the daring confidence to get behind this project.

The story follows puppet stars of an iconic TV show The Happytime Gang who are some of the biggest celebrities around. But off-camera, the family-friendly cast leads the kinds of lives that would make a tabloid writer blush. When the Happytime Gang stars begin to be mysteriously murdered, two mismatched detectives – one a type-A, take-no-prisoners human with a secret and the other a crass, hard-drinking puppet with a connection to one of the victims – must put aside their huge differences to stop the killings and catch the culprit, all the while trying to resist the temptation to murder each other.

We'll keep you posted as more details emerge!