Todd Berger wouldn’t describe himself as a comedy writer. Known for 'It’s a Disaster,' 'The Scenesters,' and a handful of Smurfs and Kung Fu Panda shorts, Berger’s latest film, 'The Happytime Murders,' has just cemented the screenwriter into a world of “writers who write comedy.”

Fifteen years in the making, the film somewhat follows Berger’s idea to remake Heat with puppets. According to the official description, “When the puppet cast of an '80s children's TV show begin to get murdered one by one, a disgraced LAPD detective-turned-private eye puppet takes on the case.”

Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, and Maya Rudolph star in the film, which is led by Director Brian Henson. The son of Jim and Jane, Brian Henson has additional directing credits such as 'The Muppet Christmas Carol,' 'Muppet Treasure Island,' and 'Muppets Tonight.'

But, 'The Happytime Murders' is no Muppets movie. In fact, the marketing campaign focuses on the “Hard R” rating, just to make sure no parents accidentally take their children into the film.

In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website.

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