Talk of a Fraggle Rock movie has been bouncing about for some time now. The last time we heard news on the proposed movie adaptation of Jim Henson’s long-running puppet-based HBO series, it appeared that Jake Shears and Babydaddy of The Scissor Sisters were being brought in to pen songs for the Weinstein Company, which was developing the project with Hoodwinked writer/director Cory Edwards …to little avail. But now Deadline has announced that New Regency has bought the rights for Fraggle Rock at auction, with no further mention of the Weinsteins or Edwards.
The Jim Henson Company and the Montecito Picture Company are set to produce the film, helping New Regency, the studio behind In Time and Love & Other Drugs, expand the kid-friendly side of their business, which got a jump start with the Alvin & The Chipmunk movies. It may be Regency’s involvement in the latter that has Deadline speculating about a possible computer-generated interpretation of the Fraggles, subterranean creatures who spend their days gorging on radishes, singing and learning life lessons, but with The Jim Henson Company on board, I find it hard to imagine such a radical re-interpretation is in the cards. Instead, I expect Gobo, Red, Mokey, Wembley and Boober will appear in the flesh — or rather felt — just as we remember them, prepared to dance their cares away! (Clap clap!)
Would you be game to see a Fraggle Rock movie?