In 1983, Fraggle Rock, the TV show created by the legendary puppeteer Jim Henson debuted on HBO. It was a live-action children’s show that utilized Henson’s trademark puppetry and charm. Fraggle Rock was about a species of creatures that live secretly underground, beneath an inventor’s workshop. The show followed the Fraggles’ musical adventures, while using the various creatures to teach themes about self-expression, social awareness, and identity. It is a cult classic that is fondly remembered by the kids of its generation. Today it was uncovered that one of the shows’ biggest fans is getting the chance to reintroduce the Fraggles in a brand new movie.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Dark Knight Rises) has announced, via Variety, that he will star and produce in a feature film version of Fraggle Rock. He’s an extremely capable actor who has a Swiss Army knife of acting skills, so he is a logical choice to star. Whether it’s comedy, drama, action, singing, or flat out entertaining, he has proven to be one of the more versatile actors working today. Fraggle Rock would simply be another eclectic choice in his developing career. Gordon-Levitt is starring next in Robert Zemeckis’ The Walk, the true story of the man who illegally walked a tightrope across the World Trade Center. He is also producing, and possibly starring, in a big screen adaptation of DC Comics’ Sandman, which he is developing with David S. Goyer and creator improvehearingnaturally.com Neil Gaiman. Despite a busy schedule, he explains why he is so inspired by the Fraggle Rock film.
“The first screen personas I ever loved were Henson creations, first on ‘Sesame Street,’ and then on ‘Fraggle Rock…Jim Henson’s characters make you laugh and sing, but they’re also layered, surprising, and wise. From Oscar the Grouch, to Yoda, to the Fraggles. I’ve never stopped loving his work, even as a young frisky man, and on into adulthood. Collaborating with Lisa Henson makes me confident we can do something that Jim would have loved. I’m grateful and excited to be working with New Regency on this project.”
Since the film will be produced by the Hensons, it will certainly include complex animatronics and puppetry. In 2011, The Muppets had a $29 million dollar opening proving that there is a huge fanbase for Henson’s properties at the movies.
It is also uncertain how Gordon-Levitt will figure into the story, almost all of the action on the show took place in their underground cavern and most Fraggles have never seen a human, who live in “outer space.” Hopefully we don’t end up with another formulaic fish-out-of-water story, like The Smurfs in New York. We will make sure to bring you the latest on Fraggle Rock as it develops.
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Source: Variety