Fraggle Rock Movie Gets Screenwriters (Hollywood Reporter)

[Hubert]

I -still- think that the best thing would be to just have inclusion of Fraggles and Fraggle sketches along with other Muppety things. They don't need a whole movie! Let them do some gags here and there. Let them make appearances. It would be so much better to have a random sprinkling of truly GOOD Fraggle appearances than one 90 minute borefest horror show.

I'm still in support of FR viral videos! Maybe a new Uncle Matt postcard, or maybe Red and/or Wembley or someone can sing a fun song...

 

[Drtooth]

I agree, B. I refuse to be optimistic about a movie until I have a very good reason to be. The odds are just too far against it living up to the series. But what I DO like is the fact that there are Fraggle puppets in the world again, and three of the original performers are apparently willing to operate them, at least sometimes (Carnegie Hall). Oh, the possibilities! I'm looking forward to the promotions leading up to the movie much more than the movie itself.

Having a movie made almost 30 years from the time the show started and having it be just as good or better is a tall order. I was more on board for this when Corey Edwards was writing the script, because he kept coming in to tell us about the production, and had his own blog where he posted news. There was a level of interactivity, or at least communication. Plus, he stood by refusing various idiotic concepts a certain film studio was shoving down his throat, and overall, he wanted to make it a low key, indie minded, family film. He later said that almost everything they forced into the Smurf movie that made it lousy was what said production company was going to force into the FR movie. EVEN a random, clumsy product placement for Guitar Hero. What does that tell you.

Ah, but the same company that screwed him with hiring new writers and a new director for his other project, Hoodwinked Too (in other words, the company that wanted to make a movie suck), began to do the same politicking and pandering by kicking him out of that project too, stalling for time, and now here we are.

I'm not quite as excited for the movie now, even if the writers try hard and get the old show's feel. Mainly because A) New Regency can and will do anything to shape the writing of this script and B) the chances of this being made are still slim.

Henson is the only one that wants this film to happen, they stand the most to gain/lose. They're going to use a large part of the budget to rebuild puppets, and a movie is the safest way to get this franchise going again. Henson's going to be "that company that does Dinosaur Train" instead of "stuff Jim Henson did" without it.

This movie can be a force for good for Henson. They just have to make sure that it doesn't scare everyone but slow witted 4 year olds away.

 

[bandit]

Well said, Dr. T! Corey Edwards, at the very least, seemed to have the right direction in mind. Understatement is the key here. As wild and nutty as Fraggles can be, there was always a very intelligent creative team in the driver's seat making even their wild romps a little tongue in cheek. Smart adults behind children's programming is always made obvious by clever script writing and subtlety. They NEVER spoke down to children. Their vocabulary was very adult, most of the time.

A perfect example of clever 'over the topness' is Absolutely Fabulous. I was never able to pin point an exact reason why Jennifer Saunders could do outlandish and ridiculously silly things on her show and always make me laugh....as opposed to the hit and miss comedy of Adam Sandler or Jim Carrey. Intelligence. That is what it comes down to.

Well, it hardly matters. There always is and always will be someone who will be happy to see something Fraggle Rock come out just because it's Fraggle Rock and not care or notice any of the other things.

Not me!

 

[Drtooth]

Rango was an intelligent animated film. That's really the only faith I have in this project. Same reason why I had faith in the last Muppet Movie. The people who wrote Forgetting Sarah Marshall wrote it. Brilliant movie, a romantic comedy that was a smartly written, realistic piece, and not some Bridget Jones piece of stupid feel good girly crap. Gah... sometimes I hate this being a family site... I have a better word for it that I can't use.

Anyway, I really can't say anything about what's going to go on with this movie until I hear something further about this project. We have basic information that they have new writers, and nothing has gone forward past that. We don't even know the barest portion of the story. Heck, they didn't even announce a director. A BAD director can ruin any film. Look at M. Night Shabbadoo's terrible direction of the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. He was completely clumsy at directing an action/martial arts film. He's clumsy at directing his own piece of garbage films. He got VERY lucky with The Sixth Sense.

And let's not forget Tim Hill's pillage of the MFS script.

So, even if we have a heartfelt, well done, brilliant script that holds its own and supports the original integrity of the show... some schmuck can come in, muck up the entire thing and "fix" things so they're more to his banal tastes.

 

[catherine]

I also loved the fraggles. I loved the purple one. I can't remember his name though, can someone help me out?

 

[Fraggline]

I also loved the fraggles. I loved the purple one. I can't remember his name though, can someone help me out?

I think you might be thinking of Mokey. She's the quiet, gentle, dreamy Fraggle who passionately cares for the well-being of all her friends. She's my favorite character, too.

 

[catherine]

thanks fraggline, i'll come to ask you 4 help, the next time.

 

[bandit]

Oh, I thought she might've meant Gobo since his hair is purple. Mokey is kindbofba soft pink or Mauve, though.

 

[Collgoff]

Ywah I thought it would be Lou Fraggle!

 

[CaseytheMuppet]

Now, only a diehard fan would know Lou!