Voltron Movie Looks for New Writer

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