It wasn't that long ago that the chances of a Fraggle Rock movie making it to the big screen were dead (or at least mostly dead). The Weinstein Company had hired screenwriter Corey Edwards to write and direct the flick, but that version finally just whimpered out, leaving many to wonder whether the company would bother trying to mount a new version. Apparently that answer is no...but that doesn't mean no one else would. Deadline is reporting that New Regency has acquired the movie rights to Fraggle Rock, and the Fraggles have a pulse once more (do Muppets have pulses?).
Given all the buzz that the upcoming new Muppet movie is generating, it's no surprise that somebody finally snatched up the Fraggle rights again. While Fraggle Rock was never as popular or widely known as the Muppets, it's still a beloved Jim Henson property, and Hollywood loves it some name recognition. Hopefully this incarnation will fare better than the last.
Airing on HBO beginning in 1983, Fraggle Rock was about the Fraggles: furry, tailed critters that stand around 18 inches tall and live underground in a place called, well, Fraggle Rock. They share their home with the Doozers, even smaller green humanoids with a serious industrial work ethic. The series played out as an all-ages romp that often dipped into allegory to deal with all manner of issues from prejudice to environmentalism.
I was always more of a Muppet kid growing up, since our household didn't have HBO. Still, I've loved what little I've seen of Fraggle Rock over the years. Hopefully if it does finally make it to screen it will be true to its origins, rather than just used as an excuse to toss some random celebrities onscreen next to beloved puppets. You just know that somewhere somebody's having a meeting and asking, "Do the Fraggles have to live underground? What if they lived in Los Angeles?"
