A Serious Pitch for the Jem Movie

The response to my idea for a "Jem" movie has been so strong that I want to formalize my pitch for a story. Let me know what you think! And if you know someone in the movie industry (or at Hasbro, who owns the "Jem" copyright), then pass this along.

Let's make this "I Totally Hear That's" mission. We cannot rest until we get this movie made!

And let it be declared that the following ideas are all the property of Mark Blankenship, written and devised by him on October 24, 2006.

Jem and The Holograms: The Movie

a short treatment

What?

A live-action, musical film based on the popular cartoon of the 1980s. Mixing action, rock songs, and romance, the film follows the international adventures of a female rock group that also uses high-tech gadgets, secret identities, and their own talent to battle evildoers. This makes them awesome.

Why Jem?

Because Jem is the female James Bond--suave, sophisticated, and able to use high-tech gadgets in the furtherance of international adventures.

Because Jem is strong, intelligent, and powerful without the help of a man. Almost every character in this story's universe is female, and it's frankly a relief to see women making decisions and kicking ass. Just look at the enthusiasm for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Veronica Mars." Think about how awesome the first "Charlie's Angels" movie was, before the franchise got too campy.

Why now?

With "Fraggle Rock" and "The Transformers" both coming to the big screen, the market is open to live-action films based on 80s cartoons.

Plus, Jem is cool. She hasn't been flogged to death by nostalgia, and her story easily could be updated.

What's the backstory?

Jerrica Benton is a successful record exectutive who also runs a shelter for girls. Both are made possible by the money she inherited from her father, a wealthy inventor.

When he died, Jerrica's father also left her Synergy, a powerful computer that creates lifelike holograms. Jerrica has long used Synergy's power--which she taps by speaking to the computer through her high-tech earrings--to turn herself into Jem. Jem is a world-famous rock star who is backed by The Holograms, three other women also transformed by Synergy's power.

The Holograms' biggest rivals are the Misfits, another female rock band. They have a slimy manager--a former partner of Jerrica's father--who tries to undercut the Hologram's good works.

Jerrica's boyfriend is Rio, though he secretly lusts for Jem. He doesn't know they're the same person. RIGHT THERE. Amazing conflict!

What's the movie's story?

We open on Jem and the Holograms playing to packed arena, all of whom are screaming for their favorite band. In fact, JatH have just won The International Battle of the Bands, which means they've collected a $5 million prize. During their performance, we cut backstage to Rio, also marketing director for Starlight Records, who explains that all the prize money will go to fund the Starlight Home for Girls.

Rio's speech is interrupted by Pizzazz, lead singer of the Misfits. Recalling the Courtney Love/Madonna incident at the 1995 Video Music Awards, Pizzazz starts berating the Holograms, saying her band is superior. It's all very fast, flashy, and fabulous.

As soon as the concert ends, Jem races back stage, not even stopping to talk to the reporters. The Holograms have a job to do! The Battle of the Bands is being held in Japan, and Jem has gotten word from Synergy's global alert system that an irate corporate leader, angry that his computer firm is about the be swallowed by an international conglomerate called Tektronix, is threatening to blow up the building where he has done his life's work.

Jem knows she has to stop him. She and the three Holograms --Kimber, Aja, and Shana--
speed off to downtown Tokyo. Using their wits and a series of inventive holograms --all summoned when Jem speaks into her earring--
they put an end to the crisis.

Throughout the course of the film, JatH go on tour, promoting good works and their music, and they notice that The Misfits are always playing nearby, which leads to comic scrapes.

One night, a mysterious envelope tips off Jerrica/Jem that Tektronix is seeking to gain control of both her record company and the home for girls. Eventually, Rio gets catpured as blackmail for J/J to turn over all her businesses to Tektronix.

We eventually learn that the shadowy head of Tektrnoix is none other than the Misfits' manager, Patricia Carerre. Patricia wants to destory Jem and the legacy of her father, while also seizing control of the world's technology. Plus, she wants The Misfits to dominate the music scene.

Jem and the Holograms must stop her! Can they do it? And who sent the mysterious note? Is it possible one of the Misfits is on Jem's side? And what about the tour, the next album, the videos, and the fans?

Awesome, right?

Right. Just let me know when you want a full-on script outline.