Puppet Film Noir From Henson Co. Looks To Katherine Heigl For Its Humanity

[BC Blog Poster]

Back in the dark and misty past of 2010, we reported that Cameron Diaz had been offered a role in The Jim Henson Company's forthcoming film noir puppet comedy, The Happytime Murders. The film has been in development since 2008 and still has not found a leading lady, but according to The Hollywood Reporter the producers now have their eye on Katherine Heigl, presumably for the same female detective role that they offered to Diaz. Here's the official summary for the film,

Featuring the well-known Henson style of irreverence and parody, and taking its cues from such films asPulpFictionandLA Confidential, Happytime Murders will present a twist on the film noir genre. In a world wherepuppets are a minority race amongst humans, a puppet detective is forced to solve a string of murders aroundThe Happytime Gang, the cast of a beloved children?s show, that is being picked off by a mysterious villain.

The film will be directed by Brian Henson, the son of the late and well-loved Muppets creator Jim Henson.

Henson Jr. produced the delightfully weird sci-fi show Farscape, which featured a number of Henson Company creations as aliens, as well as a number of children's TV shows. He also directed Henson Company classics A Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island. It will be interesting to see the big screen direction that The Jim Henson Company takes now that the Muppets themselves are owned by Disney instead.

Heigl would certainly be an excellent lead for the film's human cast. Though her resum? includes some less-than-impressive titles, she's fondly remembered (by me at least) for her role on The-OC-With-Aliens teen drama Roswell, and is a fine actress.

[thekeith82]

So it's a bit like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but with muppets? Holy crap, how the hell is this the first time I've heard about this?

[Brendon Connelly]

So it's a bit like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but with muppets? Holy crap, how the hell is this the first time I've heard about this?

They've been pretty quiet on it since I wrote the Diaz piece, but the film has been in the works, on and off, for YEARS.

[thekeith82]

They've been pretty quiet on it since I wrote the Diaz piece, but the film has been in the works, on and off, for YEARS.

Well, fingers crossed we get to see it eventually. The concept sounds fantastic.

[Joe Kalicki]

So it's a bit like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but with muppets? Holy crap, how the hell is this the first time I've heard about this?

That is the exact first thought that I had.

I don't like Heigl (well, I like the way she looks), but whatever, everyone's good with muppets.

[thekeith82]

That is the exact first thought that I had.

I don't like Heigl (well, I like the way she looks), but whatever, everyone's good with muppets.

I'm pretty ambivalent to her, really. I enjoyed Knocked Up, but outside of that she's not done anything to set my world on fire. As you say, people do have a tendency to bring their A game when it comes to stuff like this, so if she does the same it should all be dandy.

[Lord Viper Scorpion]

They need someone a little more lifelike than Heigl.

[The Xenos]

Roger Rabbit meets Meet the Feebles as directed by Brian Henson? Well, sign me up.