Yeah, you read that headline right. Jim Henson’s son Brian Henson is directing a film noir comedy with puppets called The Happytime Murders. It looks significantly darker than The Muppets (these puppets smoke cigarettes!) but hopefully it’ll have the same imaginative sense of world creation. Here’s a description:
In a world where puppets co-exist with humans as second class citizens, puppet private eye and disgraced ex-cop Phil Phillips is hot on the trail of the serial killer who murdered his brother and is now targeting the cast members of the famous 80s television show The Happytime Gang. As the killings continue, Phil’s former flame, Jenny, is next on the list. It’s up to Phil and his ex-partner, Detective Edwards, to find the culprit, but as bad blood and old resentments resurface the clues start pointing to the only viable suspect, Phil himself. Now he’s on the run with only his wits and hard headed determination, as he tries to solve The Happytime Murders.
Yep, this sounds kind of amazing.