Fact Check- Is a live-action Jem and the Holograms movie starring Sabrina Carpenter releasing in 2025? Viral poster debunked
A poster claiming a live-action film based on the 1980s TV show Jem that is set to come out in February 2025 has gone viral. The rumors began on Friday, October 25, 2024, after Facebook user @YODA BBY ABY shared a poster for the alleged film with the message:
"JEM LIVE ACTION MOVIE!!!"
The post alleges that Sabrina Carpenter is set to star as the lead character, adding:
"Set in the original Jem and the Holograms universe, this February 2025 release follows Jem and her band as they face off against rival groups, uncover secrets, and embrace the power of friendship and music."
However, the poster is fan-made and there is no movie based on the TV show coming out in February 2025. Additionally, per the Facebook user @YODA BBY ABY's profile, the account is "100% satire and fake news" and has frequently shared similar fan-made posters previously.
Jem was an animated TV series that aired from 1985 to 1988. It is centered around music company owner Jerrica Benton and her titular alter ego, who is the lead vocalist of the rock band The Holograms. It follows The Holograms and their daily adventures.
Universal Pictures released a live-action film based on the '80s series in 2015 called Jem and the Holograms
Per the series' page on IMDb, it was created by Christy Marx (who wrote for shows like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Conan the Adventurer). It was jointly produced by Hasbro, Sunbow Productions, and Marvel Productions. The same team (along with Marx as a staff writer) previously worked on G.I. Joe and Transformers TV shows.
Additionally, Japanese studio Toei Doga (now Toei Animation) worked on the animation for the show.
The show focuses on The Holograms' daily adventures- making music, working at Starlight Foundation (an orphanage for homeless girls), and clashing with a rival band, The Misfits. It also explored the relationship between Jerrica, her sister, and other band members.
Per reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, the series was praised for its complex characters and themes, writing, and incorporation of sci-fi elements. It aired in the late 1980s and ran for 65 episodes.
A live-action musical drama based on the TV show called Jem and the Holograms came out in 2015. It was produced and directed by Jon M. Chu (of Crazy Rich Asians fame). It starred Aubrey Peeples in the titular role, with Allspark Pictures (a subsidiary of Hasbro Studios) and Blumhouse Productions as the producers. It was loosely based on the original show.
The film was centered around four small-town girls who are catapulted into success after Jerrica's sister uploads a video of her singing on YouTube.
The movie was reportedly a box-office failure and received mostly negative reviews from the critics. Per Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 22% score based on reviews by 78 critics, adding that the film "ignores its source material's goofy charm in favor of bland by-the-numbers drama."
Sabrina Carpenter has not publicly reacted to the rumor.