Universal Pictures has released a collection of new clips from director Jon M. Chu’s (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) TV series adaptation Jem and the Holograms. Produced by Blumhouse, the studio traditionally known for low-budget horror films, Jem has been a surprisingly high-profile project in terms of interest from fans—both casual and devoted. Working from a script by Ryan Landels, Chu takes the basic premise of the TV series—the adventures of a young pop singer and her band—and updates it for modern day with some really smart twists.

These clips highlight a more nuanced, emotionally complex film than some may be expecting as the film looks to delve deep into the effects of fame on young talent—something that’s actually quite relevant in today's YouTube, Vine, and Twitter-star age. It was wise of Universal to angle this towards a younger audience, and Chu seems to have done a solid job of telling a real story with real characters and not just hinging on flashy songs and clichéd character arcs. Although we can probably predict how things will turn out for Jem and her band in the end.


Watch the new clips below. The film stars Aubrey Peeples as Jerrica/Jem, Stefanie Scott as Kimber, Hayley Kiyoko as Aja and Aurora Perrineau as Shana, with Molly RingwaldRyan Guzman, and Juliette Lewis. Jem and the Holograms opens in theaters on October 23rd.

Here’s the official synopsis for Jem and the Holograms:

As a small-town girl catapults from underground video sensation to global superstar, she and her three sisters begin a one-in-a-million journey of discovering that some talents are too special to keep hidden. In Universal Pictures’ JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS, four aspiring musicians will take the world by storm when they see that the key to creating your own destiny lies in finding your own voice.

jem-and-the-holograms-image-aubrey-peeples
Image via Universal Pictures

jem-and-the-holograms-movie-poster