A judge has ruled against the makers of children’s program Sesame Street in a lawsuit regarding the upcoming film, The Happytime Murders, starring Melissa McCarthy.
Filed last week, the suit hinged on the tagline for the film “No sesame. All street,” which Sesame Street creators said would lead the public to believe that the R-rated film is supported by the children’s program.
The Happytime Murders stars McCarthy as a detective who is investigating a series of puppet murders. The film is directed by Brian Henson, the son of former Sesame Street puppeteer Jim Henson.
U.S. District Judge Vernon Broderick ruled that Sesame Workshop did not prove that the public was confused nor that parents or sponsors were complaining about the use of the line, the AP reports.The Happytime Murders will be able to continue to use the tagline going forward with promotion for the film.
“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,” STX, the production company behind the film, said in statement.
