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Voltron Movie in Development Again with Dark Knight Producer

by Alex Billington
July 19, 2009

If you're a big fan of Voltron, then we've got some good news. THR's Risky Biz Blog announces that the live-action rights to a Voltron movie have switched owners. Charles Roven (The Dark Knight), Richard Suckle (The International) and Steve Alexander are the new producers on this. They replace Mark Gordon who had brought on Justin Marks, the screenwriter responsible for Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. Marks had written a Voltron script that focused on an alien invasion in an apocalyptic North America. The new owners will restart development on this from scratch and I believe will throw out Marks' screenplay.

Voltron, an animated TV series from the '80s that has retained a loyal fan following, is about a band of five robot-lions that combine to form one super lion. A group of five pilots control the lions, which are charged with defending the planet Arus from villain King Zarkon, who dispatches evil creatures called Robobeats to fight the Voltron robots. “It’s undeniably impressive that Voltron has sustained itself globally for a quarter of a century,” Roven said. Atlas Entertainment, run by Roven, Suckle, and Alexander, will move forward on developing this right away. It could be a great alternative to Transformers (especially at this moment).

As already mentioned, a Voltron movie was in development previously. We wrote quite a few articles about that version, including that an indie filmmaker named Max Makowski was going to direct it and so on. It's hard to form an opinion on a project based solely on the producers involved, but I will say that I think Roven, Suckle, and Alexander will do a better job adapting this than Mark Gordon would have. At least they won't hire the screenwriter of Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. Now here's the question I pose to you! Can both Transformers and Voltron exist side-by-side as live-action movies? Or are they too similar?

Explore tags: Discussion, Movie News

Tra la la la la di da

This ain't good news. Why can't they just leave some things alone. I don't care for a live action version of this, never did. Just make an animated movie or something, wow does everything have to be cheesy CGI live action!?!
The Clergy Ark

Assuming Atlas works in unison with Warner Brothers it would be smart for them to sell this as the anti-Transformers in the sense that it will still be giant robots and such but with smarter summer movie dialogue and plot that doesn't make the audience want grab a revolver to their head every time the bots aren't on screen. This can definitely work and I'm glad its in far better hands than this project was in before. I mean Marks the guy who wrote Chun Li? Seriously!? No wonder this production was at a stand still. It should move along nicely now.
the dude

I was always excited about seeing this in the form of Live-Action, my greatest fear is that it would resemble The Power Rangers in some way...that frightens the hell out of me...
Fuelbot

I thought the Marks screenplay was actually pretty decent. It took everything incredibly seriously and has a boss battle that puts the entirety of Transformers 2 to shame.
lovelyl

I think people are forgetting both Voltron and Transformers came out in the mid 80s. Voltron was out first in 1984 then Transformers the following year and in 1987 Robotech came out so yes they can co exist, they did back then. Transformers are just robots (I know I am gonna get slack from that) but Voltron had the five pilots flying Voltron. Personally I cannot wait for this as thus far WEP even thought they are bit slow on the uptake are listening to fans on the official forums. If memory serves me Voltron back in its day as far more popular then Transformers I used to watch both but preferred Voltron. As for the Mark's script I mean it was really really bad, if it was the real script fans screamed NO to that one and by the looks of it got scrapped. It is great to read that WEP has found people with talent that can do Voltron justice, well I hope. http://www.voltron.com
Paul

you know, either way transformers is going to have an ACTUAL storyline if they wanna compete with this
ayindi

@1 I agree with you!
ayindi

Take a que from Astro Boy.......CGI!
Sean

I smell ThunderCats around the corner...
Blue Silver

Just like the long rumored "Thundercats" and "Masters of the Universe", we will see a "Voltron" film. I don't mind it just as long as they get it right. The filmmakers NEED to respect the source material and do the characters, mythology, and best of all--- our childhoods, justice! I sure hope they don't bastardize the material a la "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"! To think that the 2nd "Transformers" had optimum potential to become a REALLY SPECIAL sequel; turned into a loud, muddled mess with lots of unnecessary and made up characters with a shoddy storyline! Long live Optimus Prime!
Andrew

Voltron was never that good, to deserve its own movie. Robotech, on the other hand... would be amazing with the right director and a suitable budget.
Big Chong

I think Voltron and Transformer can co exist side by side as live action movies in the future. I grew up watching those two series as a kid and loved them, altough Voltron was my favorite, i think they did a great job with Transformers and know with the talent they have now to make Voltron it should be a great movie. i would love to see( and i know some hardcore fans would disagree) but i would love to see a movie, (live action, cause cartoonist would not do it the justifiication it deserves) where both transformers and voltron somehow met up in the future to fight a enemy like no other. You can use your imagination as you wish. Long live Voltron and Long live Optimus Prime !!!!!!
Blue & Orange NY

#3 The Dude You took the words right of my mouth!!! Power Rangers run all over my mind when i see, hear or read this idea.... leave it ALONE!
tr1gun

#4 both voltron and transformers came out in 84. @ Alex Billington, they combine to form a giant robot, not a giant lion, and the monsters they fight are called robeasts, not robobeasts. just fyi.
Tra la la la la di da

^That's the problem #13. This movie will be made for kids who have no idea who Voltron is so they'll think it's copying those stupid Power Rangers. If this is to be done right they should set the bar for R and go from there. And main characters need to die like in the show. This show was great but no doubt, the movie will suck. People have forgotten how great the animated movies were and they need to let go of making everything live-action or even CGI. Gundam Wing was an excellent animated film and classic. Along with the Cowboy Bebop movie, X, and Vampire Hunter D. So why all the 21st century shit? I think Hollywood abandoned the Final Fantasy idea way too soon. It's easily one of the best animated films that doesn't use cheesy CGI and looks like a video game movie, which is pretty sweet. I speak of both FF movies. The problem with Spirits was it had nothing to do with FF, so it bombed, and Hollywood is too stupid to try it again. Not everything has to be Pixar/Dreamworks CGI or live action.
Cat

Who cares if it was good or not? Just to get the movie to the big screen as a live action movie would be sweet.
Yaten24

They can be in at the same time it just needs to be done correctly. Too often movies like this do not get the best writing or actors to pull it off well or at all. Take DragonBall evolutions as an example....IT SUCKED! but it had soooo much potential to be an awesome movie.
Chris H.

From what I heard about the working script for Voltron, it was considered a masterpiece by any who gained a glimpse of it. It's not kiddy by any means, no power ranger action. Latino Review had a good write-up about it awhile back. If they are still working with that script as a basis, this is indeed exciting news. Can't wait.
Wylles

Nope. Nope. Nope. Something tells me this will end up like a rehash of Transformers, the Giant Robot part of Power Rangers, and most B-movies from Japan about Giant Robots, I think you just CANT do it, just the part when they come together, TOO Cheesy, theres no way you can take away the cheesiness out of that, and that brings down the whole movie, I think it was a Giant Feat to make the Transformers´ transformations cool enough to just not be annoying but I think they succeeded barely, cause, although I did enjoy those movies, some transformations were just not right, I was just...waiting...for the transformation to end, i think I was just jaded from the 1st movie, and what i liked best was when they were fighting just as robots or just as vehicles, or when the transformations were really swift, so this could happen to these Producers with Voltron, How long will it take for them to unite? how many times are they going to do that? Will I be just sick of the 1-2-3-4 minutes its gonna take for them to unite? Will I want to watch them do that AGAIN? I dont know they would just have to invent something absolutely, totally new, innovative, inventive and/or revolutionary, or Ill never be sold, I just wish they were doing Thundercats, I saw the idea made in a fake trailer on youtube, it looked awesome, and was a great base for ideas, Or in any case Robotech, wow, now that IS a great movie Source, the battles, the transformations, which are really fast and dynamic, the two HUGE armies, the HUGE engrossing story, you gotta be kidding me, Robotech could even be useful for a Trilogy, or Double Trilogy! (I didnt want to say Sextology, LOL) Now THAT could be a Great Movie series, Not Voltron, im Sorry...
Metatasian

Does anyone remember the Centurions cartoon from the 80's? now that would be a kick ass movie, power extreme!!!!
http://www.halfassedproductions.com Greg

It's Robeasts, not Robobeats.
soul_reaver265

"It's Robeasts, not Robobeats." True, but the article also erroneously refers to Voltron as a "super-lion". I remember reading the script review for Voltron several months back and it didn't seem that bad. Having bought the complete series DVD boxset just last week, I'm back on the Voltron bandwagon and I sincerely hope that I can atleast have fun watching this movie. If this movie disappoints like Wolverine and Transfomers 2 did, I've got my Blazing Sword at the ready to cut this one down to ribbons just like I did with those movies.