Fraggle Rock (movie)
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 | In Development: This article contains information on a subject currently in development. The content may change as the project's release approaches and more information becomes available. |
An untitled Fraggle Rock movie has been in development by the Jim Henson Company since 2005.[1] The proposed film will "take Gobo, Wembley, Mokey, Boober and Red on an adventure outside of Fraggle Rock where they will interact with the strange beings in 'outer space' (also known as humans)." [2]
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Early development
In a May 2006 interview, Brian Henson said, "Yes, we are writing a Fraggle Rock movie and trying to pull it together." Henson said that fans should expect the movie "to do something that sort of stands next to the Fraggle Rock series rather than be a continuation of the show." [3]
The Jim Henson Company confirmed in an October 2006 press release that the movie was "in the works". [4] The press release also stated that "the treatment is being written by author Ahmet Zappa (The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless)."
Zappa discussed his plans for the treatment in a December 2006 interview with MTV.com. Zappa said at that time the filmmakers were planning to release the movie in late 2008 or early 2009, and said that "the Fraggles need to be here sooner, rather than later." [5]
Weinstein Co. deal
In May 2008, Henson announced that the Weinstein Company would distribute the Fraggle Rock film. The announcement also said that Cory Edwards was attached as the film's director and writer, with Edwards writing the screenplay based on his original story. The press release listed Brian Henson, Jason Lust, Lisa Henson and Eric Robinson as producers, with Ahmet Zappa and Brian Inerfeld as executive producers. [2]
Lisa Henson commented on the partnership: "Our previous partnership with the Weinstein Company has proven to be a wonderful collaboration and we are confident that joining with them on this project will ensure audiences young and old will enjoy meeting Red, Gobo and the whole Fraggle gang. With Cory Edwards directing, this new Fraggle adventure will bring an exciting energy while honoring the heart, joy and hope of the original series." [2]
In the Henson Company press release, Edwards said:
| Jim Henson's work has had a huge influence on my life, so to get the chance to bring 'Fraggles' to the big screen is fantastic. Both Lisa and Harvey [Weinstein] have been very enthusiastic and supportive of my vision of this film. It's my goal to make Fraggle fans happy, as well as make a great stand-alone fantasy adventure film. [2]
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Cory Edwards' blog
Screenwriter Cory Edwards has been writing about his progress on the film on his personal blog, "Cory's Curiosities".
In March 2009, Edwards discussed the plans for the movie's soundtrack:
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| I have been having some really cool meetings with some of the largest talent agencies about the MUSIC of the movie. We are talking to some big people about being involved. MAJOR names. Everyone agrees that this music has to be more than "kids rock," or sing-songy stuff that is merely tolerable for adults. The hope is to make the soundtrack the best POP album it can be, while giving the movie those magical moments. [6]
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He also discussed Henson's concerns about the script:
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| The other update is that I had a substantial creative meeting over at Henson on some bigger issues with the script. As excited as everyone has been about the screenplay, there were some larger, lingering notes. Notes about certain themes, about the length of time we spend in certain locations or on a certain character's story. It's been my experience that larger notes are the better discussions to have. Nitpicky debates over a line of dialogue or single action in a scene are seldom productive. But when you can dig down to a big ROOT concern, and then shift a major aspect of the script to meet that concern, that's worth doing.
So I have launched into another rewrite for a few weeks to re-work the front of the movie and a few big moments in the story. But I'm excited. Because these are big notes, not little notes. Sure, redoing your whole kitchen takes a lot more work than replacing the sink, but it's for a better payoff. [6] |
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In June 2009, Edwards wrote about the continuing delays in getting the project greenlighted:
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| All parties are circling up to keep this ball moving down the field (although it's always more like pushing a boulder up a hill). For those of you who are frustrated and impatient about how long this is taking, Welcome To The Movie Business! This is nothing new. Each project of this size involves huge amounts of money and lots of people (and multiple companies) agreeing on the same creative, financial and strategic plans. And then some of those plans take a lot of time to execute.
The news that you really want to hear -- the news that the movie is moving into production -- just hasn't happened yet. There are some major chess pieces that need to be in place to make sure this film has the best possible budget, distribution and promotion when it comes out. [7] |
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Edwards added that he is currently working on pitches for other movies.
Sources
- ↑ "Jim Henson Company at 50" The Hollywood Reporter, Ray Richmond. September 20, 2005.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Fraggle Rock is Coming to the Big Screen!", (HTML version) The Jim Henson Company press release. May 12, 2008.
- ↑ "Brian Henson on Dark Crystal 2 and More", Now Playing Magazine, Fred Topel. May, 2006.
- ↑ "THE RUMORS ARE TRUE! Fraggle Rock Feature is in the Works!", (HTML version) The Jim Henson Company press release. October 19, 2006.
- ↑ "Celeb Cameos, New Songs: Ahmet Zappa Says Fraggle Flick Will Rock", MTV.com, Larry Carroll. December 7, 2006.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Edwards, Cory. "Big Notes vs. Small Notes", Cory's Curiosities. March 16, 2009.
- ↑ "Pushing the Boulder Up the Hill", Cory's Curiosities. June 29, 2009.
External links
- Cory's Curiosities - Cory Edwards' blog
