Joseph Gordon-Levitt set to produce, star in ‘Fraggle Rock’ movie
It will soon be time to “dance your cares away” with a live-action movie adaptation of the ‘80s TV series, Fraggle Rock. Joseph Gordon-Levitt confirmed this week he will be producing and starring in the film that has been in the works for at least a decade. But the young, talented actor’s attachment to the film definitely gives the current effort more credibility.
The musical, live-action puppet series created by the late Jim Henson ran from 1983 to 1987, and centred on a group of muppets called Fraggles who lived in a cave system behind the wall of an artist’s studio. The show followed their adventures as they dealt with the tiny, industrious creatures named Doozers and furry giants known as Gorgs, who viewed the Fraggles as pests. The series was a co-production by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC), British TV company Television South, HBO and Henson Associates.
Gordon-Levitt will be working with New Regency, The Henson Co. and Lisa Henson to finally bring this project to the big screen. And while few other details are known — such as who may be writing or directing, or even what role Gordon-Levitt will play in the film — fans can save their “worries for another day” and rest assure the actor’s passion for all things Henson will drive the quality of the picture.
“The first screen personas I ever loved were Henson creations, first on Sesame Street, and then on Fraggle Rock. Jim Henson’s characters make you laugh and sing, but they’re also layered, surprising, and wise,” Gordon-Levitt told Variety. “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.”
Gordon-Levitt can next be seen hosting season two of “Hit Record on TV with Joseph Gordon-Levitt” in June. He’s currently working with director Oliver Stone, portraying Edward Snowden in the biopic Snowden that is set for release in December 2015. He’s also recently wrapped Robert Zemeckis’ The Walk (a remake of the documentary Man on Wire) in which he plays high-wire artist Philippe Petit, and an untitled Christmas comedy that reunited him with 50/50 director Jonathan Levine and Seth Rogen. Hopefully the actor will be able to find time in his busy schedule to start work on this long-awaited production so it can share some of the rediscovered glory of The Muppets.