Get ready to journey into imagination as it's being reported that Seth Rogen is producing a new movie inspired by the beloved Disney character Figment. According to Deadline, Pokémon Detective Pikachu‘s Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit are on board as writers.
Not much is known about the film other than it will be based on the small purple dragon who stars in his own Walt Disney World attraction, Journey Into Imagination. Despite serving as the mascot of Epcot's Imagination Pavilion, Figment remains one of Disney's more obscure characters. But he's got a devoted, cult-like fanbase and there's certainly no shortage of merchandise featuring the purple character.
Created by Walt Disney Imagineers Tony Baxter and Steve Kirk in 1983, Figment is meant to be the literal embodiment of the phrase "figment of the imagination." In the original Journey Into Imagination dark ride, Figment was created by a wizard-like scientist known as Dreamfinder. He creates Figment out of dreams and ideas he catches in the sky, and teaches Figment how to use his imagination.
In the more recent updated version of the ride, which stars Monty Python's Eric Idle as Dr. Nigel Channing, Figment hijacks a tour of Imagination Institute, a fictional laboratory dedicated to technological innovation and the study of imagination as a science. Figment pulls off all sorts of fun and chaotic stunts, including inviting guests to visit his house which he turns upside down. It's certainly not the greatest of rides at Epcot, but it's a classic and Figment's loyal fanbase protest at any attempt to remove it.
Figment is definitely an interesting character to star in a movie as there's unlimited potential with the chaos he can cause. We're talking about Seth Rogen, the writers of Detective Pikachu, and the power of imagination -- that's quite a combination.
Outside of his attraction, Figment appeared in multiple Disney-produced educational shortfilms in the '80s. He also had brief cameo appearances in 2015's Inside Out and 2019's Toy Story 4. Now he'll be front-and-center in his own film though.
Rogen's Point Grey banner have released various TV and film projects of late, including Hulu’s Pam & Tommy, Amazon’s The Boys and The Boys Presents: Diabolical, as well as This Is the End, The Interview, The Disaster Artist and An American Pickle. The company's next big project is the computer animated film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. It's due to release in theaters on August 4, 2023.
Are you excited about a movie starring Figment? Let us know in the comments below!