Bo Burnham recently made a bigger name for himself with his critically acclaimed directorial debut, Eight Grade. For one of his next big projects, he’s going to an unlikely place, this time in a little town known as Sesame Street. The comedian turned director is now attached to write songs for the upcoming Sesame Street movie from Warner Bros directed by Jonathan Krisel (Portlandia) and Anne Hathaway.
Sesame Street, of course, is very familiar with the musical genre given how many many iconic songs came from the Jim Henson show, as well as two musical films based on its characters: Follow That Bird, and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. Burnham was also known for his musical skills as before getting into directing and acting, having started out on YouTube as a comedian who incorporated various songs into his skits.
Some may believe that Burnham might be an odd choice for a Sesame Street movie, but considering his talent and the show’s usage of popular musical artists, it’s not too out of the ordinary. This includes Brett Mckenzie of Flight of the Conchords fame, who also wrote the music for both The Muppets (2011) and Muppets Most Wanted, with the former winning him an Oscar for Best Original Song. If someone like McKenzie, who usually writes for older audiences, can succeed as songwriter for a family project like The Muppets, then Burnham might feel welcomed on the street where Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch live.
Sesame Street is set for release on January 15th 2021.