‘Jem and the Holograms’ Finds Its Rio

Rio has been found.

Step Up: All In star Ryan Guzman will star as Rio in the live-action Jem and the Holograms film, being directed by Jon M. Chu.

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Based on the 1980s Hasbro toy line that was also a beloved cartoon, the film will follow Jerrica, an orphaned teenage girl who becomes an online recording sensation named Jem. When the project was first announced on March 20, producers said Jem is being reimagined “for a whole new generation with themes of being true to who you are in a multitasking, hyperlinked social media age.”

In the cartoon TV series, Rio Pacheco was the road manager and technical engineer, and also a love interest for Jem.

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Jem and the Holograms’ Finds Its Stars

On Thursday, THR exclusively reported that Aubrey Peeples had been cast as Jem, and that the Holograms had also been cast: Stefanie Scott, will play Jem’s sister, Kimber; Aurora Perrineau will play Shana; and Hayley Kiyoko has been cast as Aja.

Jem and the Holograms will be produced by Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Productions, Scooter Braun Productions and Chu. The production, which has been working closely with fans through its Tumblr, has already begun filming.

Guzman joined the Step Up dance film franchise with 2012’s Step Up Revolution, and will reprise his role in Step Up: All In, which hits theaters on July 25. He’ll also star in the upcoming film The Boy Next Door, which is also a Blumhouse production. On the TV side, he appeared as Jake on ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars. He’s repped by CAA, Luber Roklin Entertainment and Stone Meyer.

Here, THR debuts a video of Guzman talking about the film.

Email: Rebecca.Ford@thr.com
Twitter: @Beccamford