The Bert & Ernie Movie

The Sesame Street Mystery Movie is a 2022 buddy cop mystery comedy film directed by Matt Vogel in his feature film 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 are the stars of this film, as, while they and the rest of the gang are on a month-long vacation to Los Angeles, they receive a mysterious phone call from the chief of the L.A. 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 are either dead or missing in action. The Muppet duo teams up with street-smart detective Melissa Stokes, AKA Mel (Swinton), to the chagrin of the rest of the department's force, 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 at Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, New York. Additional scenes were shot in Atlanta.

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 Acme

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

Warrick Brownlow-Pike as Gonger

Joey Mazzarino as Murray

Forest Whitaker as Mayor Mulberry

Kevin Bacon as The Mayor's Assistant

William Atherton as Bartender

Joey Calvan as Woman in Bar

Tyler James Williams as Man in Bar

John Williams III as Captain John-John

Tyrel Jackson Williams as Protester

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, Greg Ballora, David Barclay, Tim Blaney, Julianne Buescher, Kevin Carlson, Alice Dinnean, Artie Esposito, BJ Guyer, Terri Hardin, Patrick Johnson, Sean Johnson, Tim Lagasse, Bruce Lanoil, Amanda Maddock, Drew Massey, Alison Mork, James Murray, Michael Oosterom, Mike Quinn, Michelan Sisti, John Tartaglia, Allan Trautman, Robin Walsh, Victor Yerrid, Brad Abrell, Grant Baciocco, Nate Begle, Carol Binion, Kristin Charney, Brian Clark, Nathan Danforth, Dorien Davies, Peggy Etra, Genevieve Flati, Thom Fountain, Dan Garza, Alex U. Griffin, Sam Koji Hale, Rachel Herrick, Brian Michael Jones, Donna Kimball, Frank Langley, Len Levitt, Jayden Libran, Paul Louis, Jess McKay, Ted Michaels, Brett O'Quinn, Christine Papalexis, Carla Rudy, Paul Rugg, Nicolette Santino, Colleen Smith, Russ Walko (Uncredited: Jackson Barretta, John Jennings, Scott Land, Danny Montooth, Sarah Oh, Janine Pibal, Amber Reeder, David Skelly, Cheri Lynne VandenHeuvel, Art Vega, Jack Venturo, Alex Villa, Chase Woolner)

N.Y. Muppet Performers: Pam Arciero, Tyler Bunch, Frankie Cordero, Stacey Gordon, Bryant Young, Heather Asch, Connor Asher, Tau Bennett, Ronald Binion, Rickey Boyd, Lindsey Z. Briggs, Lisa Buckley, R. Bruce Connelly, Austin Michael Costello, Melissa Creighton, Jamie Donmoyer, Mark Gale, Cameron Garrity, James Godwin, Chris Thomas Hayes, Andy Hayward, Patrick Daniel Holmes, Haley Jenkins, Avery Lee Jones, James Kemp, Vicki Kenderes-Eibner, John Kennedy, Kathleen Kim, Adam Kreutinger, Jim Kroupa, Michael Latini, Spencer Lott, Rick Lyon, Lara MacLean, Noel MacNeal, Jim Martin, Ed May, Paul McGinnis, Tracie Mick, Anney Fresh Ozar, Annie Peterle, Marc Petrosino, Megan Piphus, David Quesal, Sam of The Zing Zongs, Michael Schupbach, Andy Stone, Gabriel Velez, James Wojtal, Eric Wright (Uncredited: Jake Bazel, Raymond Carr, Carole Simms D'Agostino, Jodi Eichelberger, David Matthew Feldman, David Fino, Aymee Garcia, Sam Jay Gold, Zach Haumesser, Weston Chandler Long, Joey Rudman, Joe Sabatino, Jack Vogel)

Crew
Directed by Matt Vogel

Screenplay by Rob Letterman

Story by Christine Ferraro and Ken Scarborough

Produced by Andrew Scheinmann, Steve Oedekerk, Benjamin Lehmann, Mitchell Kriegman, Alex Rockwell

Executive Producers: Rob Reiner, Brian Henson, Lisa 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 John Debney

Additional Music by Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer

Music Supervisors: Harry Gregson-Williams and Rupert Gregson-Williams

Creature Shop
Puppet Captain: Kevin Clash

Creative Supervisor: Jason Weber

General Manager: Constance Peterson

Production Crew: Greg 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, Ed Christie, Ed Eyth, Jane Gootnick, Paul Hartis, Michelle Hickey, Rollie Krewson, Jim Kroupa, Peter MacKennan, Lara MacLean, Tom Newby, John Orberg, Anney Fresh Ozar, Constance Peterson, Kip Rathke, Stephen Rotondaro, Polly Smith, Jason Weber, James Wojtal, Carol Binion, Ronald Binion, David Bizzaro, Cheryl Blalock, 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, Ben Durocher, Richard Dyar, Victoria Ellis, Henri Ewaskio, Alex Jurgen Ferguson, Bob Flanagan, Rob Gardner, Vanessa Gifford Gillis, James Godwin, BJ Guyer, Elizabeth Hara, Deborah Hertzberg, Ann Marie Holdgruen, Jane Howell, J. Douglas James, Jean Marie Keevins, James Kemp, Joe Kovacs, Janet Kuhl, Sarah Lafferty, Tim Lagasse, Spencer Lott, Kari Love, Amanda Maddock, Laura Manns, Cathy 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 Smith

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

Puppet Wranglers: Heather Asch, Grant Baciocco, Carol 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 Ozar, Marc Petrosino, Joey Rudman, Michael Schupbach, Jessica Simon, Jack Vogel, Russ Walko, James Wojtal, Eric Wright

Muppet Special Effects Technicians: David Barclay, Fred Buchholz, Tamara Carlson-Woodard, Jim Kroupa, Greg Manion, Tom Newby, Kristen Willet

Muppet Props Masters: Fred Buchholz, Brad Elliott, 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. 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.