'Sesame Street' Creators Are Suing Studio Behind Melissa McCarthy's Puppet Movie 'Happytime Murders'

Sesame Workshop, the parent company of the beloved children’s show Sesame Street, is suing STX Productions over its new Melissa McCarthy movie The Happytime Murders.

The upcoming movie is “a filthy comedy set in the underbelly of Los Angeles where puppets and humans coexist. Two clashing detectives with a shared secret, one human (McCarthy) and one puppet, are forced to work together again to solve the brutal murders of the former cast of a beloved classic puppet television show.” (Watch the trailer now!)

The workshop is asking that the studio “simply drop the references to Sesame Street from The Happytime Murders marketing materials – a relatively small burden compared to the devastating and irreparable injury Defendants are causing.”

The poster for the movie has the tagline “No Sesame. All Street.”

The plaintiffs say that the “Defendants have refused, and the confusion and tarnishment are building, as evidenced in numerous social media postings.”

The Happytime Murders is directed by Brian Henson, the son of the late Jim Henson, who rose to fame developing characters for Sesame Street and later creating The Muppets.

Click inside for STX’s response to the lawsuit…

“STX loved the idea of working closely with Brian Henson and the Jim Henson Company to tell the untold story of the active lives of Henson puppets when they’re not performing in front of children,” the company said in a statement (via Deadline). “Happytime Murders is the happy result of that collaboration and we’re incredibly pleased with the early reaction to the film and how well the trailer has been received by its intended audience. While we’re disappointed that Sesame Street does not share in the fun, we are confident in our legal position. We look forward to introducing adult moviegoers to our adorably unapologetic characters this summer.”