First Trailer & Stills for JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS

I have no idea what Jem and the Holograms is. Apparently, it's a live-action adaptation of a 1980′s action cartoon about a record executive who lives a secret life as a rock star. In that cartoon the titular Jem is said to have gone on truly outrageous adventures as Jerrica Benton runs both Starlight Music and is also the pink-haired lead singer of Jem and the Holograms, a pop-music girl group with really big dos and elaborate fashions only the 80s could conjure up. Originally airing between 1985 and 1988 Jem and her Holograms belted out musical numbers and battled the evil schemes of nasty industry executive Eric Raymond and rival female band, the Misfits. In short, none of this outrageousness seems to be a part of the 2015 version. Instead, what Blumhouse pictures and director John Chu (Step Up 2 & 3, two Justin Bieber Documentaries and the second installments of G.I. Joe and Now You See Me) have created is a standard tale of going from an unknown to a worldwide phenomenon in the matter of days with the threat of losing ones true identity to the music industry is the biggest threat. Maybe this is an origin story of sorts that will gets fans of the 80's show to where they want to be by the end of this inaugural film or maybe they just wanted an excuse to use the branding and name recognition to tell another coming of age tale, but that seems like a waste. Given I have no real investment in the original cartoon or this adaptation I don't necessarily care what the outcome of this film is, but needless to say, adapting the actual source material certainly sounds like a more fun and original film. Jem and the Holograms stars Aubrey Peeples, Stefanie Scott, Hayley Kiyoko and Aurora Perrineau as the titular rock band. Molly Ringwald, Ryan Guzman and Juliette Lewis co-star with the film opening October 23rd.