Hit 1980s TV Series Getting an Unexpected Revival at Amazon

Just over 40 years since its original debut, the hit ’80s animated series Jem and the Holograms are gearing up for one more performance at Amazon MGM Studios.

According to Variety, the powerhouse studio is currently eyeing a live-action revival of the series with Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan’s Kilter Films (best known for Fallout and Westworld) producing.

Described as an “elevated live-action technothriller series,” the project will also be released in conjunction with Hasbro Entertainment, following in the footsteps of the original TV series.

Originally created by Christy Marx, Jem and the Holograms served as one of the most popular animated series of the 1980s. Debuting in 1985 and running until 1988, the series following record company owner Jerrica Benton, who moonlights as the lead singer in rock band Jem and the Holograms.

Like similarly influential ’80s animated series G.I. Joe and Transformers, the series served as a joint creative effort from Hasbro, Sunbow Productions and Marvel Productions, eventually leading to a slew of toys and assorted action figures based off of the hit series.

As Variety pointed out, Jem and the Holograms continued to maintain a favorable reputation well into the 1990s and beyond, spawning a full-fledged franchise that now includes a comic book series, multiple albums and a fan-backed convention dubbed JemCon that’s currently commemorating its 20th anniversary.

Interestingly, this is not the first time that an adaptation of Jem and the Holograms has entered production in recent years.

Back in 2015, director Jon M. Chu and Blumhouse Productions attempted to bring the series back to life with a live-action musical drama starring Aubrey Peeples in the lead role. The subsequent movie managed to earn about half of its $5 million budget, prompting the director and studio to abandon the property.