The Happytime Murders - wikipedia The Happytime Murders The Happytime Murders Theatrical release poster Directed by Brian Henson Produced by Brian Henson Jeff Hayes Jason Lust Melissa McCarthy Ben Falcone Screenplay by Todd Berger Story by Todd Berger Dee Austin Robertson Starring Melissa McCarthy Bill Barretta Maya Rudolph Joel McHale Elizabeth Banks Music by Christopher Lennertz Cinematography Mitchell Amundsen Edited by Brian Scott Olds Production company Black Bear Pictures Henson Alternative H. Brothers On the Day Productions STXfilms Distributed by STX Entertainment Release date August 24, 2018 ( 2018 - 08 - 24 ) Country United States Language English The Happytime Murders is an upcoming 2018 American action crime mystery comedy thriller film directed by Brian Henson and written by Todd Berger. The film stars Melissa McCarthy, Bill Barretta, Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale, and Elizabeth Banks. It is scheduled to be released by STXfilms on August 24, 2018. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 2.1 Humans 2.2 Puppeteers 3 Production 4 Release 4.1 Box office projection 5 Lawsuit 6 References 7 External links Plot In a world where puppets coexist with humans but are reviled by society and considered inferior to humans, puppet private investigator, Phil Philips ( Bill Barretta ), reunites with his ex-partner Detective Connie Edwards ( Melissa McCarthy ) to find a serial killer who murdered Phil 's brother and is now targeting the cast members of the 1980s television series The Happytime Gang, and Phil 's former flame, Jenny ( Elizabeth Banks ) is next on the list. Now he and his partner are running out of time as they try to solve `` The Happytime Murders. '' Cast Humans Melissa McCarthy as Detective Connie Edwards, Phil 's ex-partner. Elizabeth Banks as Jenny, a burlesque dancer and Phil 's `` former flame. '' She was a cast member of The Happytime Gang. Maya Rudolph as Bubbles, Phil 's secretary. Joel McHale as Agent Campbell, a stern FBI agent. Leslie David Baker as Lieutenant Banning, Edwards 's superior. Jimmy O. Yang as Officer Delancey Ryan Gaul as Officer Milligan Mitch Silpa as Tommy, a criminal. Cynthy Wu as Brittenie Marlowe Puppeteers Bill Barretta as Phil Philips, a disgraced ex-cop who is now a private investigator. He was the first puppet to become a cop, but was fired from the force. Julianne Buescher as Piddles, a puppet with whom Phil has a no - strings attached relationship Dorien Davies as Sandra, a puppet who asks Phil to investigate a case for her. Drew Massey as Goofer, an actor on The Happytime Gang who now works as a prostitute. He is addicted to sugar, which is like heroin to puppets. Massey also performs Vinny, a vulture who works at a porn shop. Ted Michaels as Ezra, an actor on The Happytime Gang. Colleen Smith as Cara, an actress on The Happytime Gang. Victor Yerrid as Larry Philips, Phil 's older brother and an actor on The Happytime Gang. Kevin Clash as Lyle, an actor on The Happytime Gang. Production Concept art depicting Phil, the grizzled central puppet character Announced in 2008 as being in development at The Jim Henson Company, the film was picked up two years later, by Lionsgate, with a targeted January 2011 start date. At the time, Cameron Diaz had been offered a lead role in the film. Diaz dropped out and Katherine Heigl entered into talks to replace her. In July 2015, it was announced that STX Entertainment had picked up the film rights to The Happytime Murders ( Lionsgate having lost them ) and put the film in active development with script revisions by Erich and Jon Hoeber. In April 2016, Jamie Foxx entered negotiations to star in the film. In May 2017, it was revealed that Melissa McCarthy had signed on to star in the film as well as contribute minor, uncredited rewrites of the film 's screenplay. This was followed by Maya Rudolph being added in August and in September, Elizabeth Banks, puppeteer Bill Barretta, and Joel McHale all officially joined the cast. Principal photography on the film began in Los Angeles, California on September 11, 2017. There are a total of 125 puppets in the film, with 40 specifically created for it. To accommodate the puppeteers, all of the sets were built up, so that the puppeteers could stand on the floor because their optimum way to operate is if they 're standing with straight arms. Because the floor of the sets came up in pieces, the human actors had a two - foot margin to stay on their path. Release The Happytime Murders is scheduled to be released by STX Entertainment on August 24, 2018. The film was originally going to be released on August 17, 2018 but was pushed back a week. The first official red - band trailer was released on May 18, 2018, with select screenings of Deadpool 2. Box Office projection Early forecasts from Box Office Pro have projected a $18 million opening weekend and a final domestic total of $47 M for The Happytime Murders. Lawsuit In May 2018, Sesame Workshop, the organization behind the production of the television series Sesame Street, filed a lawsuit against STX Productions for using their trademark in a film they have no involvement with, including the tagline `` No Sesame, all Street. '' They alleged that associating a children 's program with an adult comedy would smear the earlier 's reputation as well as confuse individuals. In response, STX issued a statement indicating their persistence to keep the marketing for the film unchanged. On May 30, 2018, the lawsuit was rejected by the presiding judge for the case, with STX issuing a brief statement soon thereafter : `` 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. We believe we accomplished that with the very straightforward NO SESAME, ALL STREET tagline. We look forward to continued happytimes as we prepare to release Happytime Murders this summer. '' Some TV spots for the film have since made references to the lawsuit by starting the ads with `` From the studio that was sued by Sesame Street... '' References Jump up ^ `` Happytime Murders - A Muppet Noir -- / Film ''. Slashfilm.com. October 15, 2008. Retrieved July 8, 2017. Jump up ^ Graham, Bill. `` Lionsgate Picks Up Dark Jim Henson Co. Puppet Film HAPPYTIME MURDERS ''. Collider. Retrieved July 8, 2017. Jump up ^ Graham, Bill ( November 9, 2010 ). `` Cameron Diaz Offered Role in Dark Henson Puppet Film THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS ''. Collider. Retrieved July 8, 2017. Jump up ^ Chitwood, Adam. `` Katherine Heigl Up for Film Noir Puppet Comedy THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS ; Al Pacino Set as Villain in DESPICABLE ME 2 ''. Collider. Retrieved July 8, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Jim Henson 's Crime Puppet Movie Finds New Home at STX ''. The Hollywood Reporter. July 7, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2017. Jump up ^ Busch, Anita ( April 27, 2016 ). `` Jamie Foxx Negotiating To Star In ' The Happytime Murders ' At STX ''. Deadline. Retrieved April 28, 2016. ^ Jump up to : McNary, Dave ( August 23, 2017 ). `` Maya Rudolph to Reunite With Melissa McCarthy in ' Happytime Murders ' ''. Variety. Retrieved August 23, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Hipes, Patrick ( September 13, 2017 ). `` Elizabeth Banks Joins Gang For ' The Happytime Murders ' ''. Deadline. Retrieved September 13, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Elizabeth Banks Joins STX 's Puppet Comedy ' Happytime Murders ' ''. The Hollywood Reporter. September 13, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Joel McHale Joins Melissa McCarthy in Puppet Comedy ' Happytime Murders ' ( Exclusive ) ''. The Hollywood Reporter. September 15, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2018. ^ Jump up to : ' The Happytime Murders ' : 25 Things to Know about the Long - Developing R - Rated Puppet Movie Jump up ^ STX Films Shifts ' Mile 22 ' and ' The Happytime Murders ' Release Dates Jump up ^ JD Knapp ( July 1, 2017 ). `` STX Sets Dates for ' Molly 's Game ' and ' Happytime Murders ' ''. Variety. Retrieved July 8, 2017. Jump up ^ Happytime Murders Trailer : Melissa McCarthy 's Filthy Puppet Noir Jump up ^ Melissa McCarthy Snorts Ecstasy and Punches Puppets in NSFW ' The Happytime Murders ' Trailer Jump up ^ Shawn Robbins ( June 29, 2018 ). `` '' Long Range Tracking : ' The Happytime Murders ' & ' Slender Man ' ; ' Ant - Man and the Wasp, ' ' Equalizer 2, ' & ' Skyscraper ' Updates `` ''. Box Office Pro. Retrieved July 5, 2018. / Jump up ^ `` ' Sesame Street ' Creators Sue STX Entertainment Over Marketing for ' The Happytime Murders ' ''. Variety. Jump up ^ `` Sesame Street sues over violent, puppet - based Happytime Murders film ''. BBC. 26 May 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2018. Jump up ^ Dominic Patten and Erik Pedersen ( May 30, 2018 ). `` ' Happytime Murders ' Lawsuit : Judge Kicks ' Sesame Street ' Bosses ' Grouchy Case To The Curb ''. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 30, 2018. CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) Jump up ^ `` Happytime Murders from the studio who was sued by Sesame Street over it ''. seriouslyomg.com. July 31, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2018. External links Official website The Happytime Murders on IMDb The Happytime Murders at Rotten Tomatoes Films directed by Brian Henson The Muppet Christmas Carol ( 1992 ) Muppet Treasure Island ( 1996 ) Jack and the Beanstalk : The Real Story ( 2001 ) Farscape : The Peacekeeper Wars ( 2004 ) The Happytime Murders ( 2018 ) The Jim Henson Company Henson family Jim Henson Jane Henson Lisa Henson Cheryl Henson Brian Henson John Henson Heather Henson Major works The Muppets † Sesame Street ‡ TV series Fraggle Rock ( 1983 -- 1987 ) Fraggle Rock : The Animated Series ( 1987 -- 1988 ) The Storyteller ( 1988 -- 1991 ) The Jim Henson Hour ( 1989 ) The Ghost of Faffner Hall ( 1989 ) Jim Henson 's Mother Goose Stories ( 1990 -- 1992 ) Dinosaurs ( 1991 -- 1994 ) Dog City ( 1992 -- 1994 ) CityKids ( 1993 -- 1994 ) Secret Life of Toys ( 1994 ) Jim Henson 's Animal Show ( 1994 -- 1997 ) Aliens in the Family ( 1996 ) The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss ( 1996 -- 1998 ) Bear in the Big Blue House † ( 1997 -- 2006 ) Brats of the Lost Nebula ( 1998 ) Farscape ( 1998 -- 2002 ) Construction Site ( 1999 ) Family Rules ( 1999 ) Mopatop 's Shop ( 1999 -- 2005 ) The Fearing Mind ( 2000 ) The Hoobs ( 2001 -- 2003 ) Telling Stories with Tomie dePaola ( 2001 ) Animal Jam ( 2003 ) Bambaloo ( 2003 -- 2007 ) Five Minutes More ( 2006 ) Pajanimals ( 2008, 2011 -- 2013 ) Sid the Science Kid ( 2008 -- 2013 ) Dinosaur Train ( 2009 -- 2017 ) Me and My Monsters ( 2010 -- 2011 ) That Puppet Game Show ( 2013 -- 2014 ) The Doozers ( 2013 -- 2014 ) Jim Henson 's Creature Shop Challenge ( 2014 ) Hi Opie ! ( 2014 -- 2016 ) Word Party ( 2016 - present ) Splash and Bubbles ( 2016 -- present ) Dot. ( 2016 -- present ) Julie 's Greenroom ( 2017 ) The Dark Crystal : Age of Resistance ( 2019 ) TV specials The Great Santa Claus Switch ( 1970 ) Emmet Otter 's Jug - Band Christmas ( 1977 ) The Christmas Toy ( 1986 ) Monster Maker ( 1989 ) The Song of the Cloud Forest ( 1989 ) Mr. Willowby 's Christmas Tree ( 1995 ) Theatrical films The Dark Crystal ( 1982 ) Labyrinth ( 1986 ) The Witches ( 1990 ) Buddy ( 1997 ) Rat ( 2000 ) Good Boy ! ( 2003 ) Five Children and It ( 2004 ) MirrorMask ( 2005 ) Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day ( 2014 ) The Star ( 2017 ) Other projects Time Piece ( 1965, short film ) The Cube ( 1969, teleplay ) Gulliver 's Travels ( 1996, miniseries ) Jack and the Beanstalk : The Real Story ( 2001, miniseries ) Farscape : The Peacekeeper Wars ( 2004, miniseries ) The Sam Plenty Cavalcade of Action Show Plus Singing ! ( 2008, web series ) Unstable Fables ( 2008, DTV film ) Oscar 's Hotel for Fantastical Creatures ( 2015, web series ) Turkey Hollow ( 2015, TV film ) Henson Alternative Puppet Up ! ( 2006 -- present ) Late Night Liars ( 2010 ) Simian Undercover Detective Squad ( 2011 ) Neil 's Puppet Dreams ( 2012 -- 2013 ) No, You Shut Up ! ( 2013 -- 2016 ) Good Morning Today ( 2013 -- 2014 ) The Happytime Murders ( 2018 ) Divisions Jim Henson 's Creature Shop Henson Recording Studios Jim Henson Home Entertainment Jim Henson Pictures Jim Henson Records Jim Henson Television Related Jim Henson Company Lot Jim Henson Foundation HIT Entertainment † Sold to The Walt Disney Company in 2004, ‡ Muppet characters only ; sold to Sesame Workshop in 2000 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Happytime_Murders&oldid=854750342 '' Categories : Upcoming films 2018 films English - language films American films American action thriller films American black comedy films American comedy films American political thriller films Criminal comedy films Fictional dictators Films about corruption Films about drugs Films about terrorism Films directed by Brian Henson Films featuring puppetry Films scored by Rupert Gregson - Williams Films set in Los Angeles Films set in Manila Films set in Moscow Films set in the Philippines Films set in Russia Films shot in Los Angeles Films shot in Manila Films shot in Moscow Films shot in the Philippines Films shot in Russia Muppet parodies Neo-noir STX Entertainment films The Jim Henson Company films Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Français Italiano Русский Edit links This page was last edited on 13 August 2018, at 14 : 38 ( UTC ). 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Question: when does the happytime murders movie come out
Answer: August 24, 2018