Melissa McCarthy to Star in Brian Henson's "The Happytime Murders"

STXfilms is teaming with Melissa McCarthy for the raunchy R-rated puppet movie "The Happytime Murders", which Brian Henson will direct in conjunction with Jim Henson Company’s Henson Alternative banner.

STXfilms Chairman Adam Fogelson and President of Production Sam Brown made the announcement yesterday.

The comedy is set in the underbelly of Los Angeles where puppets and humans co-exist. Two clashing detectives, one human (McCarthy) and one puppet, are forced to work together to figure out who is brutally murdering the former cast of The Happytime Gang, a beloved classic puppet show.

“Melissa McCarthy is the reigning queen of comedy, and we believe she will make The Happytime Murders the kind of hysterical, edgy, viral event that audiences today crave,” Fogelson said in a statement. “This is the kind of script and material that was made for Melissa’s smart and boundary-pushing sensibilities.”

Added McCarthy, “When a really good script combines puppet strippers, Los Angeles’ underbelly and comedy, it’s like my fever dream has finally come true.”

Henson, McCarthy, Jeffrey Hayes and Ben Falcone will serve as producers, while Lisa Henson and John W. Hyde will executive produce. McCarthy and Falcone will producer under their On the Day Productions banner. The story is by Todd Berger & Dee Robertson; the screenplay is by Todd Berger, with revisions by Erich & Jon Hoeber and further revisions by McCarthy. STXfilms VP Production Sheroum Kim and creative executive Kate Vorhoff are overseeing the production on behalf of STXfilms. Jeanne McCarthy is serving as casting director on the production.

Production is scheduled for a August 2017 start.