Outrageous? Truly! Over a decade after the absolute disaster that was 2015’s bland, mercifully forgetful big studio take on the beloved ‘80s franchise, Jem and the Holograms is getting yet another live-action adaptation. But this time around, Jem (AKA Jerrica) and co. are heading back to screen in a live-action series.
According to Deadline, an “elevated” live-action take on the iconic ‘80s animated series is currently in development at Amazon MGM Studios.
Husband and wife duo Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy of Kilter Films (Westworld, Fallout) are attached to produce.
The project was initially floated by Hasbro Entertainment in late 2025, with Amazon ultimately landing the sale.
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The original Jem and the Holograms cartoon, simply called Jem in some markets, debuted over 40 years ago in 1985.
Created by Christy Marx, the colorful animated series followed record company owner Jerrica Benton as she moonlit as Jem — the stylish and glamorous lead singer of the popular pop-rock group Jem and the Holograms — by using a groundbreaking holographic technology called Synergy, a special computer created by her late father.
Inspired by the rise of MTV at the time, the show featured original songs and music videos in every episode, and was a huge hit on syndication, outperforming other series such as He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. The cartoon aired its finale in 1988, two years after Hasbro introduced the series’ corresponding fashion doll line, which was designed to compete with Mattel’s Barbie line.
Despite Jem’s decades-spanning popularity and pop culture impact, John M. Chu’s loose feature film adaptation of the franchise was widely panned by critics and fans alike in 2015.
Starring Audrey Peeples, Stefanie Scott, Hayley Kiyoko, Aurora Perrineau, Ryan Guzman, Molly Ringwald, and Juliette Lewis, the film was a box-office bomb, earning a mere $2.3 million against a $5 million budget.
