Screen Rant » voltron

Voltron Movie Looks for New Writer

Paul Young — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:21:35 +0000

There are several things in Hollywood right now that are hot and popular topics: vampires, remakes, comic books and ROBOTS! As far back as I can remember, robots have always been popular in movies. Going back to the late 1940’s and early 1950’s when the science fiction boom really took off, robots were always involved in one form or another. Just quickly off the top of my brain I can think of “The Robot” from Lost in Space, Johnny 5 from Short Circuit, Mechagodzilla, of course Transformers and now Voltron.

Back in July we reported that Atlas Entertainment along with producers Charles Roven, Richard Suckle and Steve Alexander where teaming up to bring the robot quintet of Voltron to the screens everywhere. Then just like that *POOF*, no more information. Now last week, due to a new contract between United Talent Agency (UTA) and World Events Prods (and some pointing in the right direction by Film School Rejects), we find out that Atlas Entertainment is on the hunt for a new Voltron script writer in this press release:

Voltron also recently was set up as a feature with Charles Roven’s Atlas Entertainment and Jason Netter’s Kickstart Prods.; UTA is expected to help bring a writer aboard and begin shopping the project to studios.

That’s good news, I suppose, because it means the project is finally moving forward, even if it is at a snail’s pace; Voltron has everything a modern day Hollywood studio is looking for in a film franchise. Was it a cartoon? Check! Does it have robots? Check! Can it be mass marketed to children everywhere? Check! Robots are almost as popular as 3-D technology right now.

For those who may not be old enough to remember (hint – I’m talking about those of you born after 1985), Voltron was an American take on a series of Japanese cartoons – it was like an animated version of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, only without the kung-fu. Five young people manned and controlled five different robot lions, each powerful in its own right. Black Lion, Red Lion, Green Lion, Blue Lion and Yellow Lion all fought side by side to defeat the enemies of the universe – but when the enemy became too powerful to handle as individuals, the lions would join together and form Voltron, Defender of the Universe.

In later years a new Voltron was created that was formed from 15 different vehicles (see below), each representing three different teams: Sea Team, Land Team and Air Team. So that meant, subs, boats, cars, trucks, planes and space ships would all fight side by side until they needed to form the new Vehicle Force Voltron. I owned both Voltrons as a kid and the fifteen vehicle Voltron was a pain to put together – please tell me someone else had that version and can back me up.

At least now, with UTA’s involvement, we could easily see a Voltron movie in the next three or four years instead of ten or fifteen years. Even if they did wait that long to put Voltron in theaters, I’m sure it would still be popular because robots never get old with audiences. Besides, by that time the 3-D technology may be good enough that I would actually consider seeing it in a 3-D format.

What Voltron would look like with real lions.

What do you think about seeing Voltron on the big screen and most likely in 3-D? Which one would you prefer, five lions or fifteen vehicles?

Source: Film School Rejects

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‘Voltron’ Movie Set To Roar Into Theaters?

Rob Frappier — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:50:15 +0000

According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter’s Risky Biz Blog, fan-favorite 80’s cartoon Voltron will finally go into film production thanks to Atlas Entertainment and producers Charles Roven, Richard Suckle and Steve Alexander. Atlas Entertainment acquired the rights to Voltron from St. Louis-based World Events Productions.

With the incredible success of Transformers and Transformers 2, I was beginning to wonder why Voltron was taking so long to the big screen. As we reported nearly a year ago, 20th Century Fox had the rights to Voltron, but dropped the film. Since that time, a number of production companies have vied for the rights to the feature, with Atlas coming out on top after Relativity Media could not get the project off the ground before their option expired.

The production team from Relativity Media, including Mark Gordon (Saving Private Ryan) and Jordan Wynn, did a lot of ground work on the project before losing it to Atlas. Relativity’s script, which was written by screenwriter Justin Marks, focused on “five survivors of an alien attack [who] band together and end up piloting the five lion-shaped robots that combine and form the massive sword-wielding Voltron that helps battle Earth’s invaders.” It is unclear at this time whether Atlas Entertainment will use the same premise for their version of Voltron.

It is also unclear who will distribute Voltron. It surely won’t be Paramount, who are still raking in mountains of money thanks to Transformers. And it won’t be Warner Brothers either, since they also have a 1980’s-inspired robot movie in production, Robo-Tech. The most likely candidate for distribution is Sony, who already shares a general contract with Atlas.

What do you think? Are you happy to see that Voltron will (hopefully) see the light of day? I, for one, was a much bigger Voltron fan than Transformers fan growing up, so I’m hoping Atlas can really put something worthwhile together.

Source: THR

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Robot Chicken Meets Voltron In ‘Titan Maximum’

John Scott Lewinski — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:06:43 +0000

The brains behind the sci-fi, super-hero and action figure-stuffed animated comedy Robot Chicken are taking a spin-off to Saturn’s biggest moon with Titan Maximum.

Co-head writer/producer Tom Root and co-creator/executive producer Matthew Senreich created the spin-off series, which pits a collection of dysfunctional heroes and their Voltron-style assembled robot (pronounced “RO-bet,” if you’re cool and from the 1950s) against a solar system-conquering villain and crippling budget cuts. The comedy adventure’s animation will resemble Chicken’s stop motion style.

While Robot Chicken is a rapid-fire, short attention span-friendly sketch show, Titan will feature full plots per episode and an overall story arc for the series’ ongoing war of attrition.

Adult Swim ordered up nine episodes, and the show is set to premiere in September, just in time for the new fall season. With the Voltron live action movie mired in an ongoing legal dispute, this spoof could be as close as anime fans get to a new “giant robot assembled by mashing different ships together” story. (Yes, that’s a legitimate genre title.)

Will you be watching Titan Maximum?

Source: Hollywood Reporter

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Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: August 31, 2008

Niall Browne — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 16:04:44 +0000

I can’t believe that it’s now the end of August! Soon the winter blockbusters will be knocking at our door and the next thing you know it’ll be Oscar time again. Where does time go? Is it playing like a re-run somewhere, can you just flick to another dimension to a time where you are still awaiting a fourth Indiana Jones movie? Who knows, but I do know that it’s another Weekend Movie News Wrap up featuring a new aspect: a weekend box office update.

This week:

After our box office round-up we see what George Clooney and Jason Reitman are doing Up in the Air, we find out what former superhero is joining the Toy Story franchise, we look at who might be helming the Poltergeist movie and the Voltron film and what is new on the Inglorious Bastards casting front.

Weekend Box Office

It looks like Tropic Thunder will retain its box office crown and gross another $14-16 million over the Labor day weekend. Fox’s tinkering with Babylon A.D. didn’t do any good as the film will only bank $11-13 million this weekend. Ouch – what a summer Fox has had!

Don Cheadle’s Traitor did a modest $2.2 million on Friday and it should bank $10 million when all is said and done over the weekend. Meanwhile Disaster Movie was a disaster coining only $2 million on Friday – look for an $8 million weekend.

Death Race crashed an burned on its second weekend dropping a mighty 63% grossing just $1.7 million on Friday. Look for a little over $8 million by the end of Labor Day weekend.

Art house hit The Dark Knight will have crossed the $500 million barrier and the Caped Crusader epic should bank about another $11.5 million. Holy legs, Batman!

Movie News

1. Speaking of Batman, former Dark Knight George Clooney has signed on to Jason Reitman’s Up in the Air. The comedy film follows a business man who is addicted to collecting air miles. Sounds strange and quirky so it should be up Clooney’s street. I imagine it’ll fly high in awards season!

Source: Variety

2. Another former Batman, Michael Keaton has signed on to Toy Story 3. Keaton will play Ken (of Ken and Barbie fame). His other half will be voiced by Jodi Benson. Benson was also the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid. I didn’t know that already. Seriously.

Source: IESB

3. It looks like the Poltergeist remake has snagged itself a director. Vadim Perelman director of House of Sand and Fog is in talks to direct the horror film. Nothing is set in stone yet, so this could change. Heck, they could even give Brett Ratner a call.

Source: Bloody Disgusting

4. More Bastards have landed (that’s a Peter Jackson reference for you). Christoph Waltz has joined Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Bastards as the main evil-doer of the film, Colonel Hans Landa. Meanwhile National Treasure star Diane Kruger has also come on-board the film, in the role first intended for the much older Nastassja Kinski.

Source: CHUD

5. The Voltron movie has nabbed a director in the form of Max Makowski. The film is a Transformers-esque giant robot movie. Makowski has in the past brought us One Last Dance (a film that I have sitting on DVD but have never watched), as well as episodes of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

No, seriously, he did. I have nothing to say about this. Nothing at all.

I will say that there’s probably a joke in there somewhere.

Source: Latino Review

That’s it for another week. See you at the movies!

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Voltron Movie Still On The Way

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:45:48 +0000

20th Century Fox recently axed its live-action adaptation of 80’s cartoon classic, Voltron: Defender Of The Universe, leaving many fans of the series worried that they’d never see their favorite lion-bodied robot hit the silver screen. Well, you can chillax Voltron fanboys: your holy grail of 80’s cartoons isn’t quite DOA yet.

Film O Filia reports that Voltron is being eyed by financing and production venture Relativity Media (owned by super-producer Ryan Kavanaugh), which is currently in negotiations for rights to the film. Relativity plans to green-light Voltron under a more modest budget, using the same green-screen tech employed by director Zack Snyder to make his sword and sandals epic 300 look so cool.

Mark Gordon (The Day After Tomorrow) and Jordan Wynn are producing Voltron, and a script has been written by Justin Marks (Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li). A director has yet to be announced.

And now, a few plot details:

“Marks’ take is described as a post-apocalyptic tale set in New York City and Mexico, where five survivors of an alien attack band together and end up piloting the five lion-shaped robots that combine and form the massive sword-wielding Voltron that helps battle Earth’s invaders.”

Pretty much the Voltron we all know and love.

Are you psyched that new life is being breathed into Voltron: Defender Of The Universe? Or did you get your fill of CGI robots when you saw Transformers? Let us know what you think.

Source: Film O Filia

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The Weekly Rant – August 12, 2007

Vic Holtreman — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 23:15:42 +0000

Ok, ok… it’s been a while. No excuses, I’ll just give you the scoop on this week’s topics:

- Marvel’s Thor is moving forward.

- A remake of Enter the Dragon, that isn’t, really.

- Here comes another giant robot movie: Voltron.

- My thoughts on Stardust, which opened this weekend.

You can download this week’s podcast directly by clicking here.

Or you can listen to this week’s podcast by clicking here:

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Voltron Movie: Let The Copycatting Commence

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 17:17:52 +0000

Ok, so according to /Film development on the Voltron film started back in 2004, but there hasn’t been much talk on moving the production forward until the runaway (and confusing, to me) success of Michael Bay’s Transformers movie.

So let’s prepare the internets for the same sort of battle we saw with Transformers – with long-time, die-hard fans of the character railing against the live action film version and those who will think the movie version looks awesome.

Although I thought that for the most part Transformers stank, that doesn’t mean I’m opposed to movies about giant robots. Maybe they’ll get it right with Voltron: Defender of the Universe (the working title for the film) and actually have characters and a story that’s good, robots that don’t talk like 13 year olds and special effects that won’t give the audience a headache.

It’s not a done deal yet, but with the success of Bay’s movie I have no doubt this will get greenlit. The question will be how fast they can get it out the door and onto movie screens.

Source: Variety

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