Last week it was reported that Sesame Workshop, the company behind the classic children’s show Sesame Street, had filed a lawsuit against STX Entertainment regarding the upcoming Melissa McCarthy puppet noir comedy The Happytime Murders.
The suit alleged that the Brian Henson-directed R-rated comedy could cause “devastating and irreparable injury” to Sesame Street, particularly through the use of the tagline “No Sesame. All Street”.
Well, it has now been reported that STX has been victorious in defending the claim, with a judge ruling that Sesame Workshop failed to demonstrate that audiences, sponsors and parents were associating the show with the movie and that the tagline actually distinguished The Happytime Murders from Sesame Street in a “humours, pithy way.”
SEE ALSO: Watch the red band trailer for The Happytime Murders
In response, STX’s puppet lawyer Fred issued a statement which reads: “We fluffing love Sesame Street and we’re obviously very pleased that the ruling reinforced what STX’s intention was from the very beginning – to honor the heritage of The Jim Henson Company’s previous award-winning creations while drawing a clear distinction between any Muppets or Sesame Street characters and the new world Brian Henson and team created. We believe we accomplished that with the very straightforward NO SESAME, ALL STREET tagline. We look forward to continued happytimes as we prepare to release Happytime Murders this summer.”
No Sesame. All Street. THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS 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 (Melissa 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.
The Happytime Murders is set for release in August 17th.
