‘Sesame Street’ sues over movie trailer’s puppet misbehavior
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Can you tell me how to get, how to get to … court?
The nonprofit organization behind the long-running children’s program “Sesame Street” has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against the production company behind an upcoming film starring Melissa McCarthy titled “The Happytime Murders.” The movie produced and directed by Brian Henson, son of “Sesame Street” creator Jim Henson, and scheduled for August release focuses on the search for a serial killer of puppets from a fictional 1980s television series.
The lawsuit filed in New York federal court alleges that the film’s trailer, which depicts decidedly unMuppet-like behavior by puppets in the film such as sexually explicit language and actions, makes unauthorized use of the “Sesame Street” brand through its tagline “No Sesame. All Street.”
The production company had fun in its response, which was crafted by its puppet lawyer Fred, Esq. “While we’re disappointed that ‘Sesame Street’ does not share in the fun, we are confident in our legal position,” the statement said. “We look forward to introducing adult moviegoers to our adorably unapologetic characters this summer.”
Guess they didn’t learn anything about unruly puppets from Avenue Q.
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