With Masters of the Universe still battling its way at the box office this week, another iconic toy of the 1980s is hitting the screen courtesy of Amazon Studios. Jem and the Holograms, the “truly outrageous” fashion doll line, is being adapted into a live-action TV series. The toy line and its accompanying animated series centered around a pop group and their lead singer’s secret identity.
According to reports, Hasbro Entertainment began shopping the project last year, and found a buyer at Amazon, who have been making major inroads with their YA-focused films and series in recent years. The project will be produced by Kilter Films, the production company founded by Westworld power couple Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. Nolan and Joy will According to reports executive produce the series for Kilter, alongside Athena Wickham; Gabriel Marano will executive produce for Hasbro. It’s the latest stab at an adaptation for the Rhode Island toy giant; while the company has had big-screen success with its Transformers franchise, they’ve struggled to get other franchises, like G.I. Joe, Battleship, and Dungeons and Dragons off the ground.
What Is ‘Jem and the Holograms’ About?
Created as a competitor to rival Mattel‘s Barbie dolls, Jem and the Holograms centered around Jerrica Benton, a young orphan whose father bequeathed her a supercomputer, Synergy. She used the computer to create a holographic alter ego for herself, Jem, and formed a band with her sister, Kimber, and their friends. Much of the show’s drama revolved around her tumultuous relationship with band manager Rio, who is Jerrica’s boyfriend but has a crush on Jem, without knowing her true identity. The Holograms frequently clashed with rival band the Misfits, a harder-edged group who often went to extremes, with the assistance of unscrupulous record executive Eric Raymond, to undermine or even endanger their foes. Created by Christy Marx, the series was very successful, running for three seasons and 65 episodes; each episode included mini music videos of the Holograms and the Misfits (and later a third band, the Stingers) performing original songs. The dolls all came with cassettes featuring the show’s soundtrack.
Jem was previously adapted into live action with the 2015 film of the same name, which starred Aubrey Peeples as the title character and Juliette Lewis as a gender-swapped Erica Raymond; the Misfits were teased in a credits stinger scene featuring singer Kesha as lead singer Pizzazz. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the film was a critical and commercial flop.
Jem and the Holograms is in development at Amazon.
via Collider