We’ve kept our eye on The Happytime Murders because of how refreshingly twisted it sounds.  The script by Todd Berger is set in a world where puppets co-exist with humans, but naturally, are second class citizens.  One of these puppets is a private eye on the trail of a serial killer who is killing off the cast of the 80s television classic “The Happytime Gang.”  That description sends my imagination to the moon and back, but as of tonight, we have a better foundation for such daydreams based on a pair of concept art images we’ve received.  One is a headshot of Phil Phillips, our grizzled protagonist, cigarette in hand.  The other shows Phil interacting with the realistic human environment in the middle of a playfully gruesome crime scene.  (There’s stuffing everywhere!)

Okay, so maybe Katherine Heigl will star.  But if there’s any movie where the intensity of her unlikeability could contribute to the tone of a movie, it’s The Happytime Murders.  Brian Henson, son of Jim Henson, is directing.  See the images after the jump.

We’ve got some casting news concerning two upcoming “kids” movies to share with you this afternoon. First up, Katherine Heigl is in talks to star in the film noir puppet comedy The Happytime Murders. You read that right, a film noir puppet comedy. The film comes from director Brian Henson (son of puppet pioneer Jim Henson) and has been in development at the Henson Company for quite some time. The pic takes place in a world inhabited by both humans and puppets, but puppets are viewed as second-class citizens. The logline goes like this:

“When the puppet cast of an 1980s kids TV show gets murdered one by one, a disgraced detective-turned-private eye puppet takes on the case.”

Hit the jump for more on this decidedly dark puppet tale, as well as news concerning Al Pacino in Despicable Me 2.

Every now and then you come across an upcoming project that really makes you hope and pray it hits theaters.  Such is the case with Happytime Murders, a dementedly dark tale by Todd Berger with Brian Henson (son of Jim Henson) at the helm.  The Jim Henson Co. picked up a spec script by Berger in October 2008, and the project finally seems to have a suitor.  Lionsgate has picked up the comedy-thriller that features puppets as second-class citizens, with a possible January start date in mind. Hit the jump for full plot details and why this film is on the prowl for a lead.