The Bert & Ernie Movie

The Bert & Ernie Movie is a 2022 buddy cop mystery comedy film directed by Matt Vogel in his feature directorial debut, and is the third feature film based on the popular children's television series Sesame Street, after 1985's Follow that Bird and 1999's The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. The movie stars the Muppet characters from Sesame Street, as well as Jonathan Groff, Tilda Swinton, and James Marsters as the villain.

Bert and Ernie receive a mysterious phone call from the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (Groff) telling them to "come quick". It turns out that a long string of murders has taken place throughout the city, and the department's most skilled officers have been either killed or missing in action. The Muppet duo, in spite of their protests that they have no job experience, teams up with street-smart detective Melissa Stokes, AKA Mel (Swinton), in a quest to find the killer, knowing that they may never leave L.A. alive. Along the way, they discover the horrible truth about California's justice system...

Produced by Sesame Workshop and Castle Rock Entertainment, the film was released by Warner Bros. Pictures on January 14, 2022. Like its two predecessors, the film received positive critical reviews, but was a box office bomb, earning $60 million against a $45 million budget. The film is dedicated to Caroll Spinney, the longtime puppeteer and voice of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, who passed away in December 2019. The film was also the first Sesame Street production to receive a PG rating, as it includes scenes that may be too scary for children.

Principal photography occurred between late July and early September 2021 on location in Los Angeles, with scenes featuring the Sesame Street set filmed in New York City.

Cast
Peter Linz as Ernie, Herry Monster

Eric Jacobson as Bert, Grover, Oscar, Two-Headed Monster

Tilda Swinton as Mel

James Marsters as Sid Ponzi

Jonathan Groff as Goodman

Violet Tinnirello as Charlie

Jensen Ackles as Ted

Ving Rhames as Bain

Sean Bean as Enron

Ryan Dillon as Elmo, Lefty the Salesman

Matt Vogel as Big Bird, The Count, Mr. Johnson

David Rudman as Cookie Monster, Baby Bear, Two-Headed Monster

Martin P. Robinson as Telly, Snuffy

Leslie Carrara-Rudolph as Abby

Jennifer Barnhart as Zoe, Charlie's Mom

Carmen Osbahr as Rosita

Stephanie D'Abruzzo as Prairie Dawn, Little Bird

Joey Mazzarino as Murray

Warrick Brownlow-Pike as Gonger

Forest Whitaker as Mayor Mulberry

Kevin Bacon as The Mayor's Assistant

William Atherton as Bartender

Charles Hubbell as Lead Protester

Joey Calvan as Woman in Bar

Tyler James Williams as Man in Bar

John Williams III as Captain John-John

Tyrel Jackson Williams as Pink's Hot Dogs Customer

Joe Sabatino as Thug in Bar

Chris Knowings as Chris

Suki Lopez as Nina

Alan Muraoka as Alan

L.A. Muppet Performers: Bill Barretta, Kevin Clash, Louise Gold, Brian Henson, Karen Prell

Additional L.A. Muppet Performers: Brad Abrell, Christian Anderson, Joe Annabi, Rachel Appelbaum, Grant Baciocco, Gregory Ballora, David Alan Barclay, Nate Begle, Sarah Berman, Carol Dinnean Binion, Tim Blaney, Julianne Buescher, Kevin Carlson, Kristin Charney, Charles Chiodo, Edward Chiodo, Stephen Chiodo, Brian Clark, Nathan Danforth, Dorien Davies, Alice Dinnean-Vernon, Artie Esposito, Peggy Etra, Genevieve Flati, Thomas Fountain, Daniel Garza, Alex U. Griffin, B.J. Guyer, Sam Koji Hale, Terri Hardin, Rachel Herrick, Alissa Hunnicutt, John Jennings, Carl J. Johnson, Patrick Johnson, Scott Johnson, Sean William Johnson, Victoria Johnson, Brian Michael Jones, Chris M. Kauffmann, Donna Kimball, Andy Rocco Kraft, Erik Kuska, Tim Lagasse, Scott Land, Frank Langley IV, Bruce Lanoil, Len Levitt, Jayden Libran, Paul Louis Muller, Amanda Maddock, Gregory Manion, Drew Massey, Jess McKay, Ted Michaels, Danny Montooth, Alison Mork, James Murray, Russell Nauman, Sarah Sarang Oh, Michael Oosterom, Brett O'Quinn, Christine Papalexis, Felix Pire, Michael Quinn, Amber Reeder-Vega, Stephen Ritz-Barr, Carla Rudy, Paul Rugg, Nicolette Santino, Rob Saunders, Joseph Selph, Benjamin Siemon, James Silson, Scott Silson, Michelan Sisti, David Skelly, Colleen Smith, Kenny Stevenson, Lisa Aimee Sturz, John Tartaglia, Allan Trautman, Tony Urbano, Cheri Lynne VandenHeuvel, Art Gonzalez Vega, Jack Venturo, Alex Villa, Russ Walko, Robin Walsh, April Warren, Mark Bryan Wilson, Chase Woolner, Victor Yerrid (Uncredited: Catherine Adell, Gwen Hollander, Janine Pibal, Steve Troop)

L.A. Puppeteer Supervisors: Phil Baron, Heather Henson

N.Y. Muppet Performers: Pam Arciero, Tyler Bunch, Frankie Cordero, Stacey Gordon, Bryant Young

Additional N.Y. Muppet Performers: Heather Asch, Connor Asher, Billy Barkhurst, Lawrence Basgall, Jake Bazel, Tau Bennett, Ronald Binion, Rickey Boyd, Lindsey Z. Briggs, Lisa Buckley, Melvin Campbell, Raymond Carr, Frank Cesario, Weston Chandler Long, Ceili Clemens, R. Bruce Connelly, Austin Michael Costello, Melissa Creighton, Jamie Donmoyer, Benjamin Durocher, Jodie Eichelberger, David Matthew Feldman, David Fino, Galen Fott, Bradley Freeman Jr., Mark Gale, Aymee Garcia, Cameron Garrity, James Godwin, Sam Jay Gold, Elizabeth Hara, Zachary James Haumesser, Christopher Thomas Hayes, Andy Hayward, Patrick Daniel Holmes, Cedwan Hooks, Haley Jenkins, Avery Lee Jones, James Kemp, Vicki Kenderes-Eibner, John Kennedy, Kathleen Kim, Joseph Kovacs, Mary Robinette Kowal, Adam Kreutinger, James J. Kroupa, Michael Latini, Spencer Lott, Rick Lyon, Lara MacLean, Noel MacNeal, Jim Martin, Eddie May, Paul McGinnis, Anney Fresh McKilligan Ozar, Tracie Mick-Shoemaker, Andrew Moriarty, Jason Murphy, Annie Peterle, Marc Petrosino, Megan Piphus, David Quesal, Sam of The Zing Zongs, Michael Schupbach, Michael Schwabe, David Stephens, James Andrew Stone, Ian Sweetman, Gabriel Velez, James Wojtal Jr., Eric Wright (Uncredited: Matt Brooks, Carole D'Agostino, Joey Rudman, Jack Vogel)

N.Y. Puppeteer Supervisors: Cheryl Blaylock, Fran Brill

Crew
Directed by Matt Vogel

Screenplay by Rob Letterman

Story by Christine Ferraro and Ken Scarborough

Produced by Andrew Scheinmann, Lisa Henson, Kay Wilson Stallings, Benjamin Lehmann, Alex Rockwell

Executive Producers: Rob Reiner, Brian Henson, Joe Dante, Kirk R. Thatcher, Martin G. Baker

Director of Photography: Alan Caso, ASC

Production Designer: Sean Haworth

Edited by Alan E. Baumgarten, ACE

Music by Michael Giacchino

Additional Music by Andy Blythe and Marten Joustra

Music Supervisor: John Debney

Creature Shop
Puppet Captain: Kevin Clash

Creative Supervisor: Jason Weber

General Manager: Constance Peterson

Production Crew: Gregory Ballora, James Chai, Jill Colley, Janelle Courts, Melissa Creighton, Alana De Matteo, Jonathan Ehrich, Brad Elliott, Carolyn Fanelli, Alex "Jurgen" Ferguson, Jane Howell, Scott Johnson, Peter MacKennan, Casey Miller, Joseph Roddy, Jason Seck, David Skelly, Russ Walko, Chase Woolner

Muppet Stunt Coordinator: Fred Buchholz

Project Supervisor: Paul Hartis

Muppet Designers and Builders: Paul Andrejco, Heather Asch, Edward G. Christie, Edward Eyth, Jane A. Gootnick, Paul Hartis, Michelle Hickey, Rollie Krewson, James J. Kroupa, Peter MacKennan, Lara MacLean, Anney Fresh McKilligan Ozar, Thomas O. Newby, John Orberg, Constance Peterson, Philip "Kip" Rathke, Stephen Rotondaro, Polly P. Smith, Jason Weber, James Wojtal Jr., Carol Dinnean Binion, Ronald Binion, David Bizzaro, Cheryl Blaylock, Mary Brehmer, Matthew Brennan, Matthew Brooks, Michael Bush, Brian Carson, Ceili Clemens, Melissa Creighton, Carole Simms D'Agostino, Alana De Matteo, Andrea Detwiler, Isabelle Dufour, Benjamin Durocher, Richard W. Dyar, Victoria Ellis, Henri Ewaskio, Alex "Jurgen" Ferguson, Robert Flanagan, Rob Gardner, Vanessa Gifford Gillis, James Godwin, B.J. Guyer, Elizabeth Hara, Deborah Hertzberg, Anne Marie Holdgruen, Jane Howell, John Douglas James, Jean Marie Keevins, James Kemp, Joseph Kovacs, Janet Kuhl, Sarah Lafferty, Tim Lagasse, Spencer Lott, Kari Love, Amanda Maddock, Laura Manns, Catherine McCullough, Jess McKay, Tom McLaughlin, Anna Paniccia, Jane Pien, Lily Rosen, Kate Rusek, Sierra Schoening, Michael Schupbach, Jessica Simon, David Skelly, Erin Slattery Black, Keely Snook, Norman Tempia, Whitney Thayne, Mari Tobita, David Parkinson Valentine, Russ Walko, Robin Walsh, Stacey Weingarten, Jean-Guy White, Matt Witham, Julie Zobel (Uncredited: Lisa Buckley, Julianne Buescher, Emily DeCola, Brad Elliott, Artie Esposito, Bob Fappiano, Joel Gennari, Aaron Hartnett, Joshua Holden, Patrick Johnson, Scott Johnson, Sean Johnson, Adam Kreutinger, Frank Langley, Michael Latini, Rick Lyon, Nicholas Mahon, Drew Massey, Michael Oosterom, Marc Petrosino, Victor Yerrid)

Muppet Costume Supervisor: Polly P. Smith

Muppet Costumes: Lisa Davis, Vanessa Gifford Gillis, Marian Keating, Muriel Stockdale Grabe, Haley Who

Puppet Wranglers: Heather Asch, Grant Baciocco, Carol Dinnean Binion, Ronald Binion, Matthew Brooks, Melissa Creighton, Gretchen Crookes, Andrea Detwiler, Rob Gardner, Michelle Hickey, Cedwan Hooks, Joe Kovacs, Rollie Krewson, Tim Lagasse, Michael Latini, Aria Linz, Mica Linz, Lara MacLean, Noel MacNeal, Amanda Maddock, Anney Fresh McKilligan Ozar, Marc Petrosino, Joey Rudman, Rob Saunders, Sara Schmidt Boldon, Michael Schupbach, Jessica Simon, Jack Vogel, Russ Walko, James Wojtal Jr., Eric Wright

Muppet Special Effects Technicians: David Alan Barclay, Fred Buchholz, Tamara Carlson-Woodard, James J. Kroupa, Frank Langley IV, Gregory Manion, Thomas O. Newby, Kristen Willet

Muppet Props Masters: Fred Buchholz, Brad Elliott, Philip "Kip" Rathke

Trivia
An alternate opening was filmed where Chief Earl "Snarl" Goodman knocks out guards to release Sid Ponzi from prison, an event which headlines the L.A. Times. While it was eventually removed so the film could introduce the Sesame Street characters first, it was repurposed as a major plot point, as Bert and Ernie watch footage of this scene and discover that the chief of the LAPD is actually a sleazy turncoat willing to allow the people he swore to protect to be gunned down in cold blood so he can fatten his pockets with their tax dollars and life savings. This leads the disgusted duo to ask the L.A. police force to stand up to their chief, lest they be seen as complicit in his corruption.

Benjamin Bratt, Josh Brolin, Nicolas Cage, Chris Evans, William Fichtner, David Harbour, Al Pacino, and Sam Rockwell all auditioned for the role of the film's villain before James Marsters was cast.

Before Tilda Swinton was cast as Mel, Bryce Dallas Howard, Zoe Kravitz, Kate McKinnon, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alicia Silverstone, Kristen Stewart, Sigourney Weaver, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead all auditioned.

Chief Goodman is played by Jonathan Groff. Jensen Ackles, Paul Dano, Jesse Eisenberg, Santino Fontana, Josh Gad, Toby Kibbell, Jared Leto, and Chris O'Donnell also eyed for the part.