Jem and the Holograms

Jem and the Holograms is a 2015 American musical fantasy drama film based on the toy line and 1980s animated television series of the same name. Directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Ryan Landels, the film was released on October 23, 2015.

Teenage songwriter Jerrica Benton becomes an Internet sensation after her sister, Kimber, puts a video on YouTube of her singing one of her songs. Together with their foster sisters Aja and Shana, they embark on a quest to become music superstars, signing with Starlight Records and its megalomaniac owner Erica Raymond.In the process, they come across a robot called S1N3RGY built by the Benton sisters' deceased father, Emmett, which leads them on a scavenger hunt.

Cast
Aubrey Peeples as Jerrica Benton/Jem
Isabella Rice as young Jerrica
Stefanie Scott as Kimber Benton
Hayley Kiyoko as Aja Leith
Aurora Perrineau as Shana Elmsford
Wynter Perrineau as young Shana
Juliette Lewis as Erica Raymond
Ryan Guzman as Rio Pacheco
Molly Ringwald as Aunt Bailey
Nathan Moore as Zipper
Barnaby Carpenter as Emmet Benton
Ryan Hansen as Stephen the Guard
Quddus as VJ
Adelaide H. O'Brien (uncredited) as Asling
Nicholas Braun (uncredited) as Brad
Christy Marx (cameo) as Lindsey Pierce
Samantha Newark (cameo)[8] as Hairstylist
Britta Phillips (cameo) as Stage manager
Djoir (cameo)
Kesha (mid-credits scene) as Pizzazz
Hana Mae Lee (mid-credits scene) as Roxy
Eiza González (mid-credits scene) as Jetta

Katie Findlay (mid-credits scene) as Stormer

Development
With the recent successes of G.I. Joe and Transformers, Hasbro was rumored to be considering a live-action film with Universal Studios, with which Hasbro had signed a six-film contract in 2010, or a new incarnation of the animated series. On March 20, 2014, a live-action, motion-picture adaptation of Jem and the Holograms was announced, to be directed by Jon M. Chu. Chu has said he had spent ten years developing the film with producer Jason Blum.

Although holographic disguises were an integral part of the 80s cartoon version of the franchise, they were left out of the film. Early drafts of the film did include it however Chu noted that this made the film too confusing and took away from the central message, as such the element was eventually dropped with Jerrica using more traditional means to transform herself.
Creator reaction
It was later revealed that the original Jem writer Christy Marx was not involved in any part of the film's production. In response to her having no part or consultation on the film, Marx defended Chu's sense of ambition for the project via Facebook and has left it to the fans to decide whether or not the project was a "smart decision".

Casting
In April 2014, it was announced that Aubrey Peeples had been cast as Jem, with Stefanie Scott as Kimber, Hayley Kiyoko as Aja, and Aurora Perrineau as Shana.Peeples had admitted being initially unfamiliar with the franchise although she subsequently became familiar with it and became a fan quickly. Other parts were announced throughout the next couple of months with actor Ryan Guzman cast as Rio announced on April 30 Juliette Lewis's involvement on May 19. and Molly Ringwald on May 20.
Filming
Principal photography began on April 22, 2014 in Van Nuys, later on May 19, shooting was underway in Los Angeles. Shooting ended on May 24, 2014.

Release
On October 16, 2014, Universal and Blumhouse announced the film to be released on October 23, 2015. On November 10, 2015, approximately two weeks after the film premiered, Universal pulled Jem from over 2,000 theaters for poor box office performance, as it was only able to gross $2.5 million.
Marketing
On February 25, 2015, the first official image from the film was released, featuring Peeples as Jem, Scott as Kimber, and Kiyoko as Aja performing on stage.

On May 12, 2015, director Chu revealed the first official film poster. The next day, on May 13, a trailer was released online. On August 11, a second trailer was released, this time featuring the robot 'synergy' (stylized as 51n3rg.y) which was based on the original cartoon series' computer program that projects the band's images and creates their special effects during their performances.

Critics responded negatively to the May 2015 trailer for the film, noting that the reboot seems to share little with its animated predecessor. Hillary Crosley Coker of Jezebel commented that the film "looks like a less interesting version of Beyond the Lights". Uproxx noted the trailer's low rating on its official YouTube page, while The Huffington Post in Canada wrote that the changes to the original plot have "disappointed '80s kids everywhere", then highlighted multiple negative fan reactions. Williesha Morris, also writing for The Huffington Post, criticized the film's re-imagining of the Jerrica character, stating that the original cartoon "represented female empowerment, not angst".

Actress Scott, who plays Kimber, and producer Blum have both addressed the negative reactions by asking fans to reserve judgment until the film is released. Scott stated that "I think that they have to see the movie to understand that things that they think are missing are in there." Blum has described the film as being "a hundred percent true to the spirit of Jem".

Reception
Box office
The film was released in North America on October 23, 2015, alongside The Last Witch Hunter, Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, and Rock the Kasbah, along with the wide release of Steve Jobs. It was originally projected to gross $5 million in its opening weekend, but after only grossing $34,000 during its Thursday night previews ($36 per theater average), projections were lowered to $3 million. It ultimately opened in 15th at the box office with $1.4 million, the worst opening of 2015 and the fourth worst opening ever for a film playing in more than 2,000 theaters.
The film ended its North American theatrical run on November 5, 2015, two weeks after opening. Its final domestic gross is $2,184,640 with overseas takings of $7,815 for a worldwide total of $2,192,455.

The film's international rollout began on October 22, where it debuted to a fourth-place finish in Slovenia. It debuted in 9 screens and had a weekend gross of $2,064. The movie's total is $3,046.

The film was pulled from theaters after only 14 days.

Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 20%, based on 55 reviews, with an average rating of 3.5/10. The site's consensus reads, "Jem and the Holograms ignores its source material's goofy charm in favor of bland by-the-numbers drama." Metacritic gives the film a score of 42 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.


Geoff Berkshire of Variety praised Peeples' performance as Jem, noting that she "keeps the film watchable", as well as Lewis as "a nonsensical bitch-on-wheels caricature with offbeat line readings and live-wire energy", and noted that "a generally unremarkable tech package" - cinematography, sound, costuming & makeup, etc. - "at least provides a modest showcase for costume designer Soyon An, makeup head Mary Klimek and hairstylist Vanessa Price, who come the closest to channeling the vibrant spirit of the "Jem" cartoons that originally made fans fall in love."