Weinstein rolls with Fraggle Rock movie

[Ilikemuppets]

Wow! Thanks for the news!

 

[Drtooth]

In just two years, TWC has acquired the rights to reintroduce a wide range of classic television shows to modern film audiences including the iconic series "Knight Rider," "Welcome Back Kotter" starring Ice Cube, "Astro Boy" based on the animated television series that aired in Japan during the 1960s and "Equalizer," the 1980s hit.

Seems they're going to distribute Astroboy if Imagi actually makes it. It's been in developement purgatory (allong with Gatchaman and TMNT II) due to a corporate shift. These projects have been losing directors and writers left and right. Even if they happen, I don't have any enthusiasm for them.

Cory Edwards ("Hoodwinked") will direct and write an original screenplay and the project will star a unique mix of human characters and the famous Fraggle puppets.

That's the delay. We had a writer change. That usually holds something up. kinda worried about it, yes. But Maybe it's one of the few good writer changes. Still, I wonder how different from Wuzzle Zappa this script is gonna be.

Didn't Jerry Juhl complete a draft for the movie before he passed?

Yeah, didn't he write one nearly 18 years before he passed?

 

[Redsonga]

I hated Hoodwinked, it was one of the worst movies I have ever seen, 2nd only to Happily N'Ever After. I have faith in the fraggles, but I really hope that this writer does not stay .

However, there is one group we're clearly leaving out. What about the grown up parents who have been fans of FR when they were younger, now with kids of their own? I think that now is as good a time as any for this film to work. though, yes, it would have been better had this film came out 22 years ago. But in those 22 years, some of us here had kids of their own.

And another group as well, those of us who are twenty something and don't have babies yet who are simply not jaded or pessimistic, and are kids at heart . Never underestimate our group fandom power .

 

[wwfpooh]

And another group as well, those of us who are twenty something and don't have babies yet who are simply not jaded or pessimistic, and are kids at heart . Never underestimate our group fandom power .

Well said, Red. You cannot leave any fan group out, because--as they themselves know--FR was a worldwide phenomenon for many people, kids and adults alike. I just want the film done right, dagnabbit! ^_^

 

[Redsonga]

Well said, Red. You cannot leave any fan group out, because--as they themselves know--FR was a worldwide phenomenon for many people, kids and adults alike. I just want the film done right, dagnabbit! ^_^

I always have felt that although new generations of children may comes after us, FR holds a soul within it that none of us can ever truly outgrown, and those that think they have simply need to be reminded. It's not a matter of immaturity vs. realism, or nostalgia vs. a blockbuster IMHO, it's getting people to listen with their hearts and not their heads, something that the media has been trying to kill with mindless reality shows that make human emotions and differences seem like weakness .
The world really does need FR right now...

Some people will never come to see it, that's true, but they are not the sort of people who would understand the heart of the rock anyway IMHO...

Of course, never underestimate that dragging power of we fans that force 'I don't want to go to a kiddy movie' friends to come to, who actually end up loving the film to in the end .

 

[unclematt]

I am super excited about this film. I am also relieved to see that ahned Zappa is still on board.

 

[RedPiggy]

Actually, Hollywood would be happy if we didn't use our heads either. They don't market "smart" films like they do mindless blather. I find it rather bizarre that Jim Henson foretold the youtube era, considering a lot of it is the same mindless trash (even his pilot thing on youtube ... if he weren't at the beginning, it just looks like another random "we're stupid geeks on a road trip" vid).

I learned my diversity-training from the Muppets, SS, and FR.
There are generations in all countries who desperately need FR as a shot in the arm. I'm not entirely sure Gobo can make everyone sit down at the campfire and sing Kumbaya ... lol ... but the Muppet message of chillin' and gettin' along is their strength.

 

[Redsonga]

Actually, Hollywood would be happy if we didn't use our heads either. They don't market "smart" films like they do mindless blather. I find it rather bizarre that Jim Henson foretold the youtube era, considering a lot of it is the same mindless trash (even his pilot thing on youtube ... if he weren't at the beginning, it just looks like another random "we're stupid geeks on a road trip" vid).

I learned my diversity-training from the Muppets, SS, and FR.
There are generations in all countries who desperately need FR as a shot in the arm. I'm not entirely sure Gobo can make everyone sit down at the campfire and sing Kumbaya ... lol ... but the Muppet message of chillin' and gettin' along is their strength.

Well, thinking with your heart is not a mindless thing actually..I think those sort of movies don't only lack any sort of deeper thought, they also lack true heart, which is a sad sad thing...

 

[Drtooth]

I hated Hoodwinked, it was one of the worst movies I have ever seen, 2nd only to Happily N'Ever After. I have faith in the fraggles, but I really hope that this writer does not stay .

A film losing one writer is trouble. A flim losing 2 writers is doomed to never happen. I don't expect the writer to write it exactly like Hoodwinked. But then again, I was turned off by the film, and didn't want to see it, since it fell into the "Let's make fun of Fairy tales since Shrek was big" cash in stage.

I still have faith in this due to one simple fact. Henson is over seeing this. If they don't like the script, they have the power to say "NO!" and get a new writer or abandon the project entirely. Even though MFS had some studio problems, I doubt that the same problems would plague this film.

Actually, Hollywood would be happy if we didn't use our heads either. They don't market "smart" films like they do mindless blather. I find it rather bizarre that Jim Henson foretold the youtube era, considering a lot of it is the same mindless trash (even his pilot thing on youtube ... if he weren't at the beginning, it just looks like another random "we're stupid geeks on a road trip" vid).

By Smart films, do you mean the whining about something and helping to ruin the cause type films, or do you mean something allong the lines of Juno? Something that's underrated, but still has a huge buzz behind it and can be enjoyable on any level? It's Hollywood. Of COURSE they want to appeal to the lowest common denominator half the time, since... face it. Lowest common denominator outnumbers the artsy types.

But will this ruin the Fraggle Picture? I doubt it. Unless Dreamworks was behind it, and they wanted a hundred fart jokes per capita in the film, I don't see any real case of worry. In fact, the press release states they want to keep it true to the original show. Too bad Disney didn't try that with Underdog or Gadget, taking the essense of the show, draining it out to the simplest premise, and putting out something to appeal to screaming 6 year olds who don;'t care about this stuff.

I'm reserving judgement until the film goes into further production. All I'm saying is, there is NO way a muppet project could ever be as bad as OZ.

 

[RedPiggy]

Meh ... I was going with the underrated ones, not the whiny ones. It's bad enough I have to hear whining on the news.