Eager to turn the train around in time for release, Universal has pumped out a catalogue of clips – and a new poster – for its soon-to-be-released adaptation of Jem and the Holograms.
Inspired by the 80s cartoon series of the same name, the studio all but kicked the hornets’ nest earlier this year after revealing a debut trailer that was less than impressive. Since then, production company Blumhouse has assured us that Jon M. Chu’s live-action flick is actually “a great movie,” though today’s barrage of teasers doesn’t necessarily dispel our lingering doubt.
Following the rags-to-superstardom tale of Aubrey Peeples’ title character, the movie documents her humble beginnings as a budding singer operating with little more than a webcam and a shoddy microphone, to one of the hottest pop artists on the planet. Granted, considering the popularity of platforms such as YouTube, Vine, Tumblr and even Snapchat, a breakout act in the vein of Peeple’s lead is a timely story to feature, but its one sugar-coated in schmaltzy genre clichés and sentimentality.
Jem and the Holograms brings together Aubrey Peeples as Jerrica/Jem, Stefanie Scott as Kimber, Hayley Kiyoko as Aja and Aurora Perrineau as Shana, with Molly Ringwald, Ryan Guzman, and Juliette Lewis. It’ll open on October 23.
As a small-town girl catapults from underground video sensation to global superstar, she and her three sisters begin a one-in-a-million journey of discovering that some talents are too special to keep hidden. In Universal Pictures’ Jem and the Holograms, four aspiring musicians will take the world by storm when they see that the key to creating your own destiny lies in finding your own voice.
Directed by Jon M. Chu (Step Up series, G.I. Joe: Retaliation), the musical adventure stars Aubrey Peeples, Stefanie Scott, Aurora Perrineau, Hayley Kiyoko, Ryan Guzman, Molly Ringwald and Juliette Lewis. Jem and the Holograms, based on the iconic Hasbro animated TV series, is written by Ryan Landels and produced by Chu, Jason Blum for Blumhouse Productions, Scooter Braun for SB Projects, Bennett Schneir, and Brian Goldner and Stephen Davis of Hasbro Studios.