Sony Pictures recently announced that they have secured the rights to the classic sci-fi anime Robotech, and intend to move quickly toward a movie franchise.
Originally this project was in production at Warner Bros. where producer Tobey Maguire had a hand in trying to get a film version of the anime off the ground.
The Robotech Project will be developed at Sony Pictures and overseen by Michael De Luca, Matthew Milam, and Doug Belgrad.
The film will also be produced and written by the team behind 300, Mark Canton and Gianni Nunnari and screenwriter Michael Gordon.
De Luca mentioned in a statement, “Robotech is unique in that it has always been a marriage of spectacle with human characters that seem drawn from life. That’s why we are so excited to be working with Mark and Gianni as we move forward on this project. With a history that offers an epic love triangle, a renegade hero, and a world on the brink of extinction, Robotech offers a wide scope and a rich and impressive universe where the story possibilities are endless.”
“When the rights to Robotech became available we jumped; Mark and I knew it had what big movies in today’s world must have if they want to grab everyone: insane visuals AND powerful themes,” said Nunnari. “The characters in Robotech wrestle with both the destructive and redemptive powers of technology; nothing is more relevant today than that.”
Harmony Gold originally held the property rights to the Robotech franchise. Their executive producer Frank Agrama said: “Patience is a virtue. We at Harmony Gold have waited 30 years for the chips to fall in place. Finally they have, and finally our dreams have come true. I am sure that our fans and the public at large will be flabbergasted with what they will hear and see on the screen. Thank you Gianni, Mark, Ralph and above all, all of the Columbia Pictures people involved.”
Robotech may be best known for its massively popular ’80s TV series, but it also had a franchise of comics, RPGs, video games, and collectibles. Judging from the statements of the producers, it seems that the Robotech film will be live action.
What are your thoughts of this development? You think Sony will steer a live action anime film in the right direction or will it bomb like Dragon Ball Evolution? Let me know what you think in the comments below! Be sure to subscribe with The Outerhaven for the latest news in anime and gaming!
