Directed by Brian Henson, puppeteer, child of Muppets maker and ace puppeteer Jim Henson and current seat of The Jim Henson Company, The Happytime Murders additionally stars Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale and Elizabeth Banks.

Henson, McCarthy, Jeffrey Hayes and Ben Falcone fill in as Happytime makers, while Lisa Henson, Dee Robertson and John W. Hyde official create. McCarthy and Falcone create under their On the Day Productions standard.

The story is by Todd Berger and Dee Robertson; the screenplay is by Berger. STXfilms VP Production Sheroum Kim and inventive official Kate Vorhoff managed the creation.

“The Happytime Murders” happens in reality as we know it where people coincide with living manikins. Melissa McCarthy plays a criminologist who gets joined forces with a manikin cop. The two are entrusted with invading the underbelly of Los Angeles wrongdoing to explain the killings of the cast of a darling manikin TV program. Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph, and Joel McHale co-star.

The Happytime Murders hits theaters August 17.