Sesame Street to be turned into a movie

Fox has picked up the rights to the classic children’s show following the success of the recent movie version of 'The Muppets' over at rival studio Disney.

[Related: The men behind the Muppets]

'Sesame Street' started off as an educational kids series, and despite a plethora of memorable characters and big name stars coming and going since the show debuted in 1969, this ethos still remains paramount. Joey Mazzarino, a longtime writer on the series, will pen the script for the big screen version.

Jim Henson's studio, which also produced the Muppets, famously created a number of the most recognisable characters including Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch. Another of the characters – Elmo – was even recently the subject of his own documentary.

Over the course of its TV run, 'Sesame Street' has won 138 Emmy awards and is broadcast around the world. The series has had two previous film spin-offs but 1985's 'Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird' and 1999's 'The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland' failed to score success for Warner Bros.

The as-yet-untitled ‘Sesame Street’ movie will be produced by 'Night At The Museum' director Shawn Levy under his 21 Laps production company.