New Regency Lands ‘Fraggle Rock’ Feature Rights Auction

[Speed Tracer]

http://www.deadline.com/2011/10/new-regency-lands-fraggle-rock-feature-rights-auction/

EXCLUSIVE: New Regency today acquired rights to turn the Jim Henson series Fraggle Rock into a feature film. The property was shopped and caught the interest of studios, before New Regency made the deal for a film that will be produced by The Jim Henson Company and the Montecito Picture Company. The series premiered on HBO in 1983, ran for five seasons and was broadcast in over 80 countries. It revolved around puppet characters Bobo, Wembley, Mokey, Boober and Red, who lived in Fraggle Rock. They interacted with humans who thought they were aliens.

New Regency was recently reconstituted by Arnon Milchan, who brought in Brad Weston to put together a slate of filmmaker-driven films that are mostly geared for adults. However, the Alvin And The Chipmunks franchise has been lucrative for New Regency, and this was an opportunity to add another family film franchise. It is not immediately clear whether the film will use puppets or be a CG/live-action mix. New Regency and the producers are figuring that out now and will set a writer shortly.

So - YAY for someone besides Weinstein owning the film rights now, EHHH for it being the folks behind those Alvin pictures.

 

[BobThePizzaBoy]

Oh yeah, Bobo was my favorite Fraggle!

Jokes aside, I'm still not convinced this movie is happening.

 

[ZeppoAndFriends]

The company behind Alvin and the Chipmunks? Bobo Fraggle? "Are figuring out" whether or not they're going to use puppets?

This does not bode well.

 

[Speed Tracer]

The "G" is right above the "B" - it's a typo.

 

[Duke Remington]

I bet DrTooth is going to have a field day when he hears about this.

It's reasons like this that we should be even more grateful for the fact that the classic Muppets are in caring, loving hands at Disney.

I feel very sorry for the poor Fraggles and other struggling Henson properties. It sure is tough living in a world where there are people who will choose compromising artistic integrity for the sake of making a fast buck instead of taking the time to do things right the first time.

 

[Drtooth]

I feel very sorry for the poor Fraggles and other struggling Henson properties. It sure is tough living in a world where there are people who will choose compromising artistic integrity for the sake of making a fast buck instead of taking the time to do things right the first time.

Why? It's still not going to get made.

I really hope if this thing happens (mark my words, it won't) Henson has final approval on everything. I know Corey Edwards got the short end of the stick when it came to Hoodwinked Too and he got all the blame for it (he actually was VERY disappointed with the final result, but said something to the extent of "this is what happens when it's out of my hands"), but I want Henson to coax him to come back and redo the script again. He seemed pretty hard line when it came to studio meddling with the original script.

I can take the same company as Alvin, but PLEASE no same director. Tim Hill already ruined one Muppet movie. As long as we get a strong script and enough henpecking from Henson to make sure the film is quality, this may actually be a not bad thing. If they can maintain that it will be a Puppet based movie with as much of the original cast as possible, I'll hope for the not worst.

On the plus side, at least we'd have plush toys that don't sorta kinda look like them sorta and cost 20 bucks.

 

[ZeppoAndFriends]

The "G" is right above the "B" - it's a typo.

I realized that, but you think someone would've daught it.

 

[Drtooth]

"WOW! Ya... ya mean I get to be in a FRAGGLE movie? Heh! Won't the guys be so proud'a me when I tell 'em. Yup! I'm real hot stuff! Don't touch.

Oh...

that... that was a typo? Ehhh.... well, I guess that's okay. Uh... I'm in that OTHER movie and all, so it's not all bad, right? Kinda... kinda wan'ned to meet Junior Gorg but... eh, okay."

 

[Speed Tracer]

My advice for them - hire Brian Lynch. The guy is writing some really successful, fun kids movies right now (Hop and Puss in Boots), and is a die-hard Muppet fan. His script for The New Muppet Movie was super fun, and he would knock a Fraggle movie out of the park.

 

[MrBloogarFoobly]

Whuhuhwuhwuhhhhh?

Well, we'll see if this happens. I really hope they stick to puppetry. CGI is garbage.