‘FernGully’ Live-Action Remake Set With Marielle Heller Directing — But Why?

Any FernGully diehards out there?

Another strange project has been greenlit. This time it’s Amazon/MGM that have set up a “FernGully” live-action film based on the 1992 animated “FernGully: The Last Rainforest” (which wasn’t a good movie). Marielle Heller is set to direct her own script.

The first “FernGully” featured voice performances by Robin Williams, Tim Curry, Christian Slater, and Samantha Mathis. The story takes place in an Australian rainforest inhabited by fairies. When one of them accidentally shrinks a human logger to their size, they join forces to defend the forest from destructive logging operations and a malevolent pollution spirit known as Hexxus.

More memorable than the film itself was the controversy over Robin Williams lending his voice to another animated character at nearly the same time as Disney’s “Aladdin.” Williams had just delivered a hugely popular performance as the Genie in the 1992 Disney classic, and his involvement in another animated project sparked discussion about brand exclusivity and studio competition.

Hey, at least this is good news for Heller — after striking out with “Nightbitch,” she’s somehow managed to ink back-to-back projects in less than a month. She is set to reunite with Tom Hanks for the baseball drama “The Comebacker,” a project that Sony Pictures secured this week after an intense bidding war. That film shoots in October. No production date has been set yet for “FernGully.”

To Heller, I say good luck on “FernGully.” Translating tiny fairies, rainforest magic, and the smoky, sludge-like look of Hexxus will not be easy in live action.

Heller’s debut was the 2015 Sundance sensation “The Diary of a Teenage Girl.” This was followed by the equally acclaimed “Can You Ever Forgive Me.” She then dabbled in mainstream filmmaking with the mostly enjoyable “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” and the much-delayed “Nightbitch” in 2024.

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