Melissa McCarthy (Photo: Gregg DeGuire, WireImage)
NEW YORK (AP) — The makers of Sesame Street are suing the creators of a new Melissa McCarthy movie, saying they're abusing the famed puppets' sterling reputation to promote the film.
A judge Friday scheduled a hearing next week to consider a request for immediate relief by Sesame Workshop, which sued Thursday in federal court for unspecified damages.
The film, The Happytime Murders, is scheduled for release Aug. 17. McCarthy plays a human detective who teams with a puppet partner to investigate grisly puppet murders.
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The lawsuit said the Sesame Street brand will be harmed by a just-released movie trailer featuring "explicit, profane, drug-using, misogynistic, violent, copulating and even ejaculating puppets" along with the tagline "NO SESAME. ALL STREET."
STX Productions LLC says in a statement it is confident in its legal position.
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tommythehandsome on May 26th, 2018 at 18:36 UTC »
I have no problem with a R-rated Muppet movie, but by God was that trailer terrible.
Literally ALL the humour was of the “haha did that muppet seriously just say/do that” brand?!
Not an ounce of wit anywhere.
Learn from Roger Rabbit!
Jefferystar94 on May 26th, 2018 at 17:46 UTC »
To clarify anyone who just read the title, it's nothing terribly serious.
The company found issue with the "No Sesame, all street" line used in the trailer, as they believe it could make people think it's done by/related to them. Considering they're a family friendly program without silly string jizz, it makes sense, and they just want to distance themselves more than anything from Happy Time Murders.
The crew on the movie doesn't take issue with that at all (the whole incident just gives them even more free marketing) and said they'd be more than willing to work with Sesame Street's company
GrahamCrackerDragon on May 26th, 2018 at 17:09 UTC »
This reminds me of the Smile Time episode of Angel