The year is 1983. Your aunt, bless her heart, beams as she hands you a box. Inside, nestled in cardboard shavings, is… a Chia Pet. Thirty years later, prepare for the next level of surprise: the company Rakia Media just secured the rights to turn that terracotta planter into animated gold.
“Chia Pets have been featured on our shelves since childhood, and we’re thrilled to help grow the brand to new heights,” said Adam Jay Epstein, producer-writer and one of the rights acquirers. He envisions a world of Chia hitting theaters and screens around the globe.
Epstein, alongside producers Ari Daniel Pinchot and Jonathan Rubenstein, now controls the Chia Pet universe under Rakia Media’s Crystal City Entertainment. The original rights belong to Ad Populum, a company with a portfolio that includes consumer brands like Neca, Kidrobot, Party City, and even Graceland.
“For over 40 years, Chia Pet has remained one of the most recognizable brand icons in pop culture history,” said Joel Weinshanker, CEO of Ad Populum, in a press statement. “I’m excited to collaborate with a team that respects its past and sees its future potential.”
From Planter to Plot: The Great Unknown
I remember staring at my own Chia Pet, willing those tiny seeds to sprout faster. Now, that same sense of anticipation surrounds this project. The producers want to morph a novelty item into an animated series or film, but what will that actually be?
Chia Pets sport a range of licensed characters, from Wednesday to Shrek. Will this become a Ready Player One-style mashup, but with sprouting greenery? Or is there a secret Chia planet we don’t know about? Perhaps the biggest question: will anyone under 30 care?
What is Ad Populum?
Ad Populum LLC is a brand management company specializing in breathing new life into classic intellectual property. They acquire and manage a diverse range of consumer brands, aiming to revitalize them for modern audiences. Their holdings include names like Neca, Kidrobot, Party City, and even the iconic Graceland.
The “Barbie” Precedent: A Seed of Hope
Many scoffed when Warner Bros. announced a Barbie movie. It became a cultural phenomenon. This feels different, yet that unlikely win is a reminder that almost anything is possible. This project, however, feels like scraping the bottom of the IP barrel.
What other unusual toys have been adapted into movies or TV shows?
Beyond Barbie, the toy aisle has yielded other surprising adaptations. Transformers, initially a line of transforming robots, exploded into a multi-billion dollar film franchise. G.I. Joe, based on the action figures, also became a live-action movie series. Then there’s The Lego Movie, which demonstrated that even construction toys could power a clever and engaging narrative.
Hollywood’s Green Gamble: A New Low?
This move is a shot in the dark, a long shot to be certain. It feels like Hollywood is a hungry ghost, rummaging in the graveyard of forgotten brands for its next meal. Let’s be honest; this feels like a creatively bankrupt move, but stranger things have happened.
The entertainment industry has become a swirling vortex of intellectual property, sucking up every available resource, every nostalgic whisper. While the potential is there, the challenge now lies in finding a narrative that resonates. In short, this feels like trying to squeeze blood from a stone.
Where can I buy Chia Pets?
Chia Pets are readily available at major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Walgreens, as well as online marketplaces such as Amazon and the official Chia website (Chia.com). They are typically found in the garden or novelty sections, particularly around holiday seasons.
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So, can the Chia Pet movie defy expectations and sprout into something truly special, or will it wither on the vine?