After several years of development, theThe Happytime Murdersis finally moving forward in the right direction. TheJim Henson Companyand STX Entertainment are in early talks with actorJamie Foxxto star in this comedy, which will be R-rated and feature a blend of live-action and brand new muppet characters. STX hasn’t issued a release date for the unconventional comedy at this time, and it isn’t known when production may begin.
The Happytime Murdersis set in a city where humans and puppets co-exist. Some of the biggest celebrities in the world are the stars of a hit TV series entitledThe Happytime Gang. But behind-the-scenes, these stars lead horrifying lives that don’t exactly match their family-friendly on-camera personas. When the stars of this show start getting killed off in gruesome ways, two LAPD detectives must put their differences aside to solve the case.
According toDeadline,Jamie Foxxwill play Detective Edwards, a straight-laced cop who must team up with his old partner, a hard-drinking womanizing puppet named Phil, who has a connection to one of the victims. Phil isn’t terribly fond of Edwards’squeaky-cleanattitude, as they try to put this killer behind bars before they end up killing each other. The project will also present a number of lucrative merchandising and licensing opportunities for The Jim Henson Company.
Brian Henson, son of the lateJim Henson, is directing from a script byTodd Berger& Dee Robertson}, andErich&Jon Hoeber(Red,Red 2). This project has been in the works for several years, withKatherine Heiglonce attached to star back in 2012 in an unspecified role, although it isn’t known if she is still involved in the project.The Happytime MurdersbringsJamie Foxxback into the comedy realm.
Jamie Foxxwill next be seen inSleepless NightalongsideMichelle Monaghan, which doesn’t have a release date in place yet. He also plays Little John in next year’sRobin Hood: Origins, and he is currently filmingBaby Driver, the next film from directorEdgar Wright. We’ll keep you posted with more updates onThe Happytime Murdersas soon as we have more details.
