After 10 years in development, director Brian Henson, son of the legendary Jim Henson, is bringing The Happytime Murders to the big screen. The film is the first foray for The Jim Henson Company, through Henson Alternative, to receive an R rating. While it features no Muppets, there will be plenty of puppets on display with a few Muppeteers lending their technical and vocal talents to the project.
Outside of an initial “red band” trailer highlighting just how dirty things will get, not much is known about the movie. The lack of information, or further footage seemed strange, given the mixed reaction the trailer received. Until now. Thanks to a series of clips from distributor STX Entertainment, we have a clearer idea of what exactly we’ll be getting.
First though, here’s the official synopsis, for those who may need a refresher:
No Sesame. All Street. THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS is set in the underbelly of Los Angeles where puppets and humans coexist. Two clashing detectives, one human and one puppet, are forced to work together to try and solve who is brutally murdering the former cast of “The Happytime Gang,” a beloved classic puppet show.
The first clip appeared about a week and is your classic garden variety PSA, albeit with a slightly unexpected slant.
Pretty self explanatory. No one is safe from addiction and the characters from Happytime Murders seem to be dealing with a serious epidemic. Yet it seems like syrup isn’t even the worst of offenders when it comes to those of the felt set.
Apparently sugar, in all its various forms, is a real issue for puppets. To the point where a group of people are actively trying to ban it outright. It’s anyone’s guess as to how this plays out in the story.
The best clip though is saved for last and gives us a better picture of what sets up the story proper for the upcoming film.
It’s funny how perfectly this fits into the current day trend of just about everything getting a revival. Is it the possibility of a reunion that sets off the killer in the film? Could the desire that Larry Shenanigans has to look more human lead to who the murderer may be? We’re sure to get all those answers when The Happytime Murders opens, right around the corner, on August 24th.
