Did Curiosity Kill the Cat?

Everyone's favorite story time monkey makes his debut on the big screen this weekend, but the movie may open with a little more mystery than was included in the original storyboard.

The bloodied body of a collaborator on the Curious George series of children's books and films was found covered in garbage bags in the driveway of his home.

Alan Shalleck's body was there for at least a day while neighbors passed by, assuming it was a heap of trash, before a maintenance man discovered it Tuesday. Police said they were treating the case as a possible homicide, but wouldn't disclose details about how he died.

Shalleck worked with Margret Rey -- who, with husband Hans, created Curious George in the early days of World War II -- on close to 30 books about the mischievous little monkey, and wrote and directed over a hundred short film episodes of Curious George for the Disney Channel. There is as yet no indication that Shalleck's untimely death is at all related to Friday's opening of the new animated feature film.

But I hear police are on the lookout for a man in a big yellow hat...