Bo Burnham Gets To ‘Sesame Street’, Will Pen Songs For Warner Bros Movie

EXCLUSIVE: Deadline has learned that Eighth Grade filmmaker and stand-up comedian Bo Burnham is contributing songs for Warner Bros/MGM’s upcoming Sesame Street movie, which hits theaters on January 15, 2021.

In the movie directed by Jonathan Krisel, Big Bird and his Sesame Street friends are mysteriously expelled from their neighborhood, finding themselves in Manhattan. They team up with Sally Hawthorne, a plucky history-show host who’s on a quest to save her progrma and prove that Sesame Street actually exists. Obstacles are created by the “evil” mayor, with reasons of his own for keeping Sesame Street hidden from the world.

Related stories

Sesame Street AppleTV+ Series 'Helpsters' Announced By Big Bird & Cody

Anne Hathaway stars and Shawn Levy and Michael Aguilar are producing. Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady is also producing with Mark Gordon as EP. Barry Schwartz wrote the most recent draft, with Chris Galletta and Mike Rosolio writing previous drafts.

Burnham’s feature directorial debut Eighth Grade made its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and went on to win a WGA Award for best original screenplay, a DGA Award for best first feature film and a Film Independent Spirit Award for best original screenplay.

Burnham shot out of cannon in 2006 during the infancy of Youtube, posting videos of himself singing raunchy songs about his teenage angst on the piano, i.e. “New Math.” His ballad “My Whole Family Thinks I’m Gay” caught fire; Gersh phoned up Burnham at school and pulled him out of class looking to sign him. He was invited to perform at the Montreal Comedy Festival, where he caught the attention of Judd Apatow, who became a mentor of his scripted work. Burnham starred in Apatow’s TV series Yo Teach…!, his movie Funny People and The Big Sick.

Currently at Paramount, Burnham has an untitled teen dramedy he wrote and produced. Amy York Rubin is directing and Danielle Macdonald and Jaboukie Young-White star. The project centers on two high school outcasts who turn the tables on those who are bullying them and their classmates.

Burnham also is set to star alongside Carey Mulligan in FilmNation Entertainment/LuckyChap’s Promising Young Woman, a thriller written and directed by Emerald Fennell.

Burnham is repped by UTA and Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof and Fishman.

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.