FernGully Returning as Live-Action Movie, Years After Those Avatar Jokes

When James Cameron’s Avatar came out in 2009, more than a few people made jokes about it being a live-action remake of the 1992 animated film FernGully: The Last Rainforest. Took over 15 years for someone to think that that actually sounded like a pretty good idea, but it’s now happening: Amazon MGM has announced that a FernGully live-action movie is now in development, with acclaimed indie filmmaker Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) writing and directing.

The press release studiously avoids the word “remake,” despite the financial success Disney’s had in dragging much of its animated catalog into the live-action realm. Producer Jon Sheinberg said in a statement that “Our goal isn’t simply to make a new film. It’s to honor a timeless classic and extend its powerful themes and musical legacy across every platform.”

Like Avatar, the original FernGully featured an environmentally-themed love story between two people from different worlds, in this case a rainforest-dwelling fairy (voiced by Samantha Mathis) and a teenager who gets shrunk down to fairy size (voiced by Jonathan Ward). It’s streaming now on Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, and Tubi, and is also available now on Blu-ray from Amazon.