Joseph Gordon-Levitt down in Fraggle Rock

If names like Gobo, Wembley and Red mean something to you, it’s highly likely you were a fan of the 1980s Jim Henson show Fraggle Rock. If so, then good news because it looks as though a movie adaptation is now definitely happening, as Joseph Gordon-Levitt has signed up to both star and produce.

The film has been in the pipeline for well over a decade but has faced numerous obstacles. With the talented and evidently enthusiastic Lincoln actor on board, however, there should be no stopping it now.

For many kids of a certain age, Fraggle Rock was essential viewing and it seems that it created a big impression on the now 34-year-old Gordon-Levitt: “Jim Henson’s characters make you laugh and cry, but they’re also layered, surprising, and wise. From Oscar the Grouch, to Yoda, to the Fraggles. I’ve never stopped loving his work, even as a young frisky man, and on into adulthood.”

Henson passed away in 1990, but his inimitable style lives on through his daughter Lisa, with whom Gordon-Levitt will be working closely: “Collaborating with Lisa Henson makes me confident we can do something that Jim would have loved. I’m grateful and excited to be working with New Regency on this project.”

Fraggle Rock was notable for its characters singing and dancing in each edition and, of course, that iconic theme tune, which inevitably became subject to alternative playground lyrics (at my school, anyway). The ‘Rock’ in question was essentially a cave with two exits, that was home to the Fraggles and their co-habitants the Doozers. One led to the land of the Gorgs, a family of giants for whom the Fraggles were a constant source of annoyance. The other led to a lighthouse, which was home to its keeper and his dog Sprocket, and was the gateway to the outside world.

Unsurprisingly, there is no release date as yet, so in the meantime click on the image above for a sample of the Fraggles doing their stuff.