VIDEO: 'Jem and the Holograms' Movie Announces First Cast Members

UPDATE: The roles of Jem and the Holograms themselves have been announced, as casting director Terri Taylor has counteracted complaints about the lack of females in the movie about a female rock group by revealing that the cast will indeed have women, some of whom you might actually recognize! A.N.T. Farm’s Stefanie Scott will play Kimber, Jem’s sister and The Holograms’ keytarist/songwriter; Pretty Little Liars star Aurora Perrineau will play guitarist Shana; The Fosters’ Hayley Kiyoko will play the band's other guitarist Aja; and, last but not least, Nashville star Aubrey Peeples will make the leap from playing Layla Grant to starring as Jem herself. So there ya have it. An all-female rock band. Eat your heart out, HAIM!

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The Jem and the Holograms movie is definitely happening, and it's moving forward with fans of the project in some pretty big roles.

Casting director Terri Taylor announced the first of the winners of the online auditions held in March, in which fans auditioned for speaking parts, or to play backup dancers or singers. Basically, instead of asking fans to fund their movie with money, the people behind the John M. Chu-directed Jem are asking fans to invest their talent. The movie is intended to mix the tone of the classic Jem and the Holograms cartoon (with its '80s-era arena rock sensibility) with 21st Century technology and social media, all to tell the story of Jem as she searches Los Angeles for a parting message from her late father. Sounds poignant, if nothing else.

As for that first cast member that's been announced? His name is Nathan Moore, and he'll be playing the big bad henchman Zipper. Check out his audition video below along with Taylor's casting announcement:

Via: ComicBook.com