The day of the puppets has come at last (or so it would seem from recent news out of Hollywood.) In addition to the star-studded Muppet film The Greatest Muppet Movie Ever Made, we have some potential blockbuster casting news on the dark comic puppet film The Happytime Murders.
As we wrote in our first description of the film in October, the movie “depicts an alternate reality where puppets are sentient beings that live alongside humans. The puppets exist as “second class citizens” to the humans, and when the cast of an 80s puppet TV show, ‘The Happytime Gang,’ begin to turn up dead, an alcoholic ex-cop puppet turned private detective must solve the murders with his human ex-partner.”
All in all, it’s a pretty intriguing premise, and something that I would definitely be interested in seeing. Then again, I could listen to the soundtrack to Avenue Q everyday and never get tired of it, so I’m probably the ideal target for this movie.
Considering the somewhat unusual nature of the movie, could it click with general audiences? Perhaps, if you add a legit A-list star like Cameron Diaz. According to Vulture, Diaz has been offered a role in the film. There is no word yet on whether she has read the script or made a decision either way, but it’s still an interesting piece of news. For one thing, it begs the question of who Diaz might be playing.
In most crime movies, there’s a femme fatale character — somebody who cozies up to the lead and throws a wrench into his plans. Smart money says the role Cameron Diaz was offered fits into that category. On the other hand, the writers may have flipped the script and made a woman the human ex-partner, in which case Diaz could be up for that part.
Whatever the case, it’s nice to see a big name attached to such a unique project. Vulture has some details on the script and it sounds like the filmmakers are really shooting for an R-rating. That’s good to hear. Sometimes, with all of the mundane sequels, remakes, and retreads, it feels like nobody in Hollywood is willing to take a chance with their movie. The Happytime Murders could be an awesome movie that bucks that trend.
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. Her other notable film credits include Charlie's Angels, Vanilla Sky, Gangs of New York, and voicing Princess Fiona in the Shrek film series. Diaz has received Golden Globe nominations for her performances in There's Something About Mary, Being John Malkovich, Vanilla Sky, and Gangs of New York.
