Portlandia co-creator to direct a live-action Sesame Street musical film

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

According to an exclusive report by Variety, Warner Bros. has found their director for the live-action SESAME STREET musical film in PORTLANDIA co-creator Jonathan Krisel. Word has it that the upcoming film project will be presented to audiences as a musical, and will feature many of the beloved characters from the long-running educational program. Producing the highly-anticipated project is STRANGER THINGS alum Shawn Levy and KIDDING producer Michael Aguilar. Hard at work on the script are David Guion and Michael Handelman, with Jesse Ehrman overseeing on behalf of the Warner Bros. Sesame Workshop, who currently hold the rights to the puppet-populated program.

SESAME STREET came onto the scene in 1969, and featured a wide array of both human and puppet cast members who delighted in bringing joy and valuable life lessons to children across the globe. Over the years, SESAME STREET has introduced youngsters to a diverse cast of characters created by the Jim Henson Workshop, such as Big Bird, Bert, Ernie, Grover, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, Elmo, Abby Cadabby, and many more. Although SESAME STREET has created a series of films featuring many of its characters throughout the years, one of the most memorable by far is director Ken Kwapis' 1985 family adventure FOLLOW THAT BIRD. Written by Tony Geiss and Judy Freudberg, FOLLOW THAT BIRD told the story of when Big Bird is sent to live far from Sesame Street by a pesky social worker. Unhappy, Big Bird runs away from his foster home, prompting the rest of the Sesame Street gang to go on a cross-country journey to find him. The aforementioned film is filled with delightful songs, dastardly thieves, and enough heart to make even Oscar the Crouch shed a solitary tear.

The upcoming SESAME STREET film is set to be  Krisel’s first major studio movie after spending several years of establishing PORTLANDIA as a bonafide hit for Broadway Video Television and IFC Original Productions. It's to be hoped that Krisel’s SESAME STREET will pave the way for nostalgic parents to re-connect with old friends, while simultaneously introducing the magic of imagination and caring to a new generation of impresionable youth.