'Fraggle Rock' Movie Gets a Pair of Writers (Exclusive)

Rango co-writer Jim Byrkit and Alex Manugian have been happed to pen the script for Fraggle Rock, New Regency’s big-screen adaptation of the 1980s musical puppet series created by Jim Henson.

our editor recommends

Just For Laughs Fest Books Chelsea Handler, Aziz Ansari and The Muppets

CinemaCon 2012: Pixar Announces New Latin-Themed Project, Disney Plans 'Muppets 2'

PHOTOS: 'The Muppets' Premiere Red Carpet Arrivals

Initially a Canadian series that became a hit internationally (in the U.S. it played on HBO), Rock told the adventures of a group of cave-dwelling puppet creatures called Fraggles. In their lives are a race of small industrious creatures named Doozers, who live in the caves, and the Gorgs, furry giants who look at Fraggles as nuisances.

A feature has long been in the works at other companies with the property being set up at New Regency in 2011.

The Jim Henson Co. and the Montecito Picture Co. are producing.

PHOTOS: 11 Children's Movies With Political Agendas? You Betcha, Say ConservativesByrkit shared story credit on Rango with Gore Verbinski and John Logan. He was also a storyboard artist on Oscar-nominated animated movie and worked with Verbinski in the same capacity on The Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

Manugian is a former Cartoon Network executive who did some voicework on Rango.

Together they wrote the spec Fleeced, a sort of Ocean's 11 meets Jason and the Argonauts, which is set up at Disney. 

The duo is repped by Eric Robinson and Eddie Gamarra of The Gotham Group. Byrkit is additionally repped by Gersh.