A feature-length adaptation of the popular ’80s series created by Jim Henson has been in the works for quite a few years now, but the project has seemingly gained quite a bit of momentum with the news that Joseph Gordon-Levitt will produce and star in an upcoming Fraggle Rock film.
Variety reports that Gordon-Levitt will partner with studio New Regency, The Jim Henson Company, and Lisa Henson to produce a live-action movie based on the series, which ran for five seasons on HBO during the mid-’80s. The puppet-filled series followed the adventures of several groups of creatures — including the carefree Fraggles, the workaholic Doozers, and the giant Gorgs — that lived in underground caves and other areas outside of human populations as they played, worked, and got into all manner of silly predicaments that often required a valuable lesson to resolve.
While the Fraggles’ interaction with humans was minimal, the series featured at least one character who ventured out into our world to observe “the silly creatures of outer space.”
“The first screen personas I ever loved were Henson creations,” said Gordon-Levitt in a statement accompanying the announcement. “First on Sesame Street, and then on Fraggle Rock. 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.”
It’s unknown what sort of role Gordon-Levitt will play in the film, which was previously said to focus on a group of Fraggles who leave the safety of Fraggle Rock to explore the outside world. Whether that’s still the premise of the project is uncertain.
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