Animated TV series, Jem a.k.a. Jem and the Holograms, premiered in 1985 and ran in first-run syndication, for 65 episodes, until it was cancelled in 1988. In the cartoon, Starlight Music owner Jerrica Benton fights to keep evil co-owner Eric Raymond from seizing full control of her late father’s company, which Jerrica uses to support orphans. With the help of her star-shaped earrings — which give her access to the holographic computer, Synergy — Jerrica assumes her alter-ego, Jem, lead singer of the Holograms. Jem and the Holograms compete against Raymond’s rocking rebel girl band, the Misfits, while protecting the Synergy technology and thwarting Raymond’s nefarious takeover schemes.
Based on its doll line, Hasbro, created the animated Jem series in conjunction with Marvel Productions and Sunbow Productions. While the G.I. Joe franchise has a similar pedigree, it managed to find success on the silver screen, which has eluded Jem and the Holograms. It currently ranks 15th on Pro.BoxOffice.com‘s domestic box office gross chart, bringing in $1.32 million during opening weekend, despite a wide release. The film stars Aubrey Peeples as Jerrica/Jem; Stefanie Scott as Kimber, Aurora Perrineau (daughter of Lost‘s Harold Perrineau) as Shana; Hayley Kiyoko as Aja; and Molly Ringwald as Aunt Bailey. Continue on for more from director Jon M. Chu, including video in which he addresses the film’s failure.
From The Hollywood Reporter:
Chu, who directed the film Jem and the Holograms, delivered the Filmmaker Keynote on Saturday at the Film Independent Forum in L.A., where he began by telling the crowd that the movie failing at the box office has been tough on him. […]
Chu, who has also directed such films as G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Step Up 3D, told the crowd that he and producer Jason Blum have been working for the past 10 years on developing Jem, which opened Friday. But he acknowledged that fans of the 1980’s cartoon series haven’t necessarily been on board with the film version.
“I get fans sending me hate mail, I get death threats, I get racist remarks — it’s a really fun business,” he said. “Reviewers have been harsh, to say it lightly.”
Watch Chu address the Film Independent Forum:
Did you watch the animated series, Jem? Why do you think fans of the G.I. Joe action figures and animated series turned out at the box office, while Jem fans didn’t? Let us know in the comments.
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