Jamie Foxx In Talks For Grown-Up Puppet Movie, The Happytime Murders

For quite a few years The Jim Henson Company has been working on The Happytime Murders, but despite plans to shoot in 2010 and 2012, and stars likes Katherine Heigl and Cameron Diaz linked to it at various times, the project has remained stuck in development hell. However now the grown-up puppet film looks like it may be moving forward, as Deadline reports Jamie Foxx is in early talks to star.

The basic concept of the film is that it’s set in a world where puppets are second-class citizens, but just as likely to get into booze, drugs and sex as any of their human counterparts. When the puppet cast of 1980s children’s TV show The Happytime Gang begins to get murdered one by one, a disgraced LAPD detective-turned-private eye puppet (who has a drinking problem), Phil, takes the case with his former human partner, Detective Edwards (Jamie Foxx). It’s been descibed as Avenue Q meets LA Confidential, which is quite a mash-up. There’s not much love lost between the two, with Phil annoyed at Edwards’ squeaky clean, by-the-book attitude.

Jim Henson’s son Brian is set to direct the movie. It’s not clear when it will shoot, but with STX Entertainment now backing the movie, it will hopefully move forward this time.