Bob the Builder, the cheerful handyman who first appeared on CBBC 25 years ago, is getting a cinematic makeover by none other than Jennifer Lopez. The film will follow Roberto (also known as Bob) as he travels to Puerto Rico for a big building project, where he “takes on issues affecting the island and digs deeper into what it means to build”.
According to reports, the film will “celebrate the vibrant and colourful textures of the Caribbean Latin nations and their people”. The director is yet to be announced, but the script will be penned by Felipe Vargas, who previously wrote a horror short about a dark fairy who preys on children in an orphanage.
The voice of Bob will be provided by Anthony Ramos, who starred in both the stage and screen versions of “In the Heights”.
“For years, Bob the Builder’s characters have inspired young people around the world. A movie about friends working together, a celebration of a beautiful home they share, and how love can help to conquer any obstacle in your way. Can we fix it? Yes, we can!” He said.
Ramos, who is also producing the film with Lopez, said that some characteristics of the film were based on his own life experiences. Robbie Brenner, the president of Mattel Films, praised Ramos and Vargas for their “genius vision for the story” and said that they would capture the essence of the beloved character for both old and new fans.
The history behind this character was, that Bob the Builder started as a cartoon about a bricklayer who, along with his co-worker Wendy and various talking machines, tackled different building tasks on the BBC’s children’s channels from 1999 to 2011.
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