‘FernGully’ Gets a Live-Action Remake

FernGully was about the last rainforest. What this news presupposes is … maybe it wasn’t?

That’s because Amazon MGM announced today they were remaking FernGully: The Last Rainforest, this time in “live action.” (It’s a movie about fairies and magical creatures and talking bats, so I’m guessing there will still be some special effects involved.)

The new film will be directed by Marielle Heller, the director of films like The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and the Mr. Rogers biopic A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. According to the press release, Heller also wrote the script for this new FernGully.

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The original FernGully, directed by Bill Kroyer and based on a series of stories by Diana Young, followed the fairies who lived in an Australian rainforest, and their quest to save their home from loggers. (One of the loggers gets shrunk down and joins their quest.) It was known for its environmental message, and for featuring a prominent voice role for comedian Robin Williams as a bat. (FernGully was one of two notable Williams animated movies that year; Disney’s Aladdin was the other.)

Although it wasn’t a massive box-office hit, the film performed well with kids on home video, and in later years it was often compared to James Cameron’s Avatar, which shares a similar story and ecological theme.

“Our goal isn’t simply to make a new film,” said producer Jon Sheinberg in a press release “It’s to honor a timeless classic and extend its powerful themes and musical legacy across every platform.”