‘Sesame Street’ sues over new McCarthy R-rated puppet movie

NEW YORK — The makers of “Sesame Street” are suing the promoter of a new Melissa McCarthy movie, saying it’s abusing the famed puppets’ sterling reputation to advertise the R-rated film.

A judge scheduled a hearing

next week to consider a request for relief by Sesame Workshop, which sued in federal court in Manhattan for unspecified damages and an order forcing the film to be marketed differently.

The film, “The Happytime Murders,” is scheduled for release Aug. 17. McCarthy plays

a human detective who teams with a puppet partner to investigate grisly puppet murders.

The lawsuit said the “Sesame Street” brand will be harmed by a just-released movie trailer featuring “explicit, profane, drug-using, misogynistic, violent, copulating and even ejaculating

puppets” along with the tagline “NO SESAME. ALL STREET.”

STX Productions LLC, in a statement issued in the name of “Fred, Esq,” a lawyer puppet, said it was looking forward to introducing its “adorably unapologetic characters” to adult moviegoers.

“We’re incredibly pleased with the early reaction to the film and how well the trailer has been received by its intended audience,” it said. “While we’re disappointed that Sesame Street does not share in the fun, we are confident in our legal position.”