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More 80s: Robotech Getting Adapted by Tobey Maguire

by Alex Billington
September 7, 2007
Source: Hollywood Reporter

What is it with Hollywood and giant robots? I should've assumed that this trend would be picked up. First it was Transformers (which I really enjoyed), then next comes Voltron and now the newest feature film is Robotech. Robotech was an anime television series that originated initially out of Japan in the 1980s and featured giant robots known as mechas. Warner Brothers has picked up the rights and it's likely that Spider-Man's Tobey Maguire will star in the lead role.

Maguire, who's also producing through his Maguire Entertainment, commented on the film.

"We are very excited to bring 'Robotech' to the big screen," Maguire said. "There is a rich mythology that will be a great foundation for a sophisticated, smart and entertaining film."

Robotech takes place at a time when Earth has developed giant robots from the technology on an alien spacecraft that crashed on a South Pacific isle. Mankind is forced to use the technology to fend off three successive waves of alien invasions. The first invasion concerns a battle with a race of giant warriors who seek to retrieve their flagship's energy source known as "protoculture," and the planet's survival ends up in the hands of two young pilots.

Transformers really kicked down the door on animated TV shows from the '80s, and now we're going to see an endless sprawl of them hitting the big screen in years to come. It's almost a guarantee that most won't even live up to Michael Bay's creation, but the rare one like Robotech under Maguire's watch may actually turn out pretty good. Here's to hoping for the best and reliving our childhood thanks to Hollywood!

Filed under Movie News

From around the web:

andry

is this news true? i heard that there's still a legal issue between Studio Nue/Big West (Macross) versus Harmony Gold/Tatsunoko (Robotech)...
http://www.greatwhitesnark.com Great White Snark

Yep, it was just a matter of time at this point. The company (Harmony Gold) that owns the Robotech rights has been saying for a while that the Robotech movie getting made was all but 100% contingent on Transformers doing well. Guess what? Transformers did really well. http://www.greatwhitesnark.com/2007/06/04/san-jose-super-con-2007-robotech-scoops/ Sadly, I bet this means we'll see a Gobot movie announced, soon, too...
Ono-Sendai 7

I hope there's some way that every children's cartoon from my childhood can be turned into a blockbuster movie. I'm going to be holding out for the MASK movie or possibly something involving the Inhumanoids or Dino Riders maybe. I think they could find a way to fit some Affleck type into each of those. Also, since Transformers opened the door here they definitely should milk the franchise with some Beast Wars spinoff or something.
Allen

just not Tobey MaGuire , gezz , Rick Hunter was a boy , hardly into his teens when he became a fighter pilot , he became a man thru the shows episodes , pick someone younger n less , idk , jaded?
Fernando

Its going to GREAT or more,if the producer would not mess up this one. I hope its made with actors and not only an animation(theres a lot to show about this!!
doteman92

This comes from Naka-Kon 09 in Kansas City, Mo. Kevin McKeever, the marking manager of Harmony Gold, the owners of Robotech, states that Tobey Maguire is only involved in producing. He also stated that the movie is still a go even if Street Fighter and Dragonball do bad. Plus, WB is also involved in making the movie.
http://raisinhope.ning.com/profile/daviddemery David

I was an 80's kid and I watched most of thos cartoons but Robotech was different. It even inspired my to fly with Air Combat USA.