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Commercial Director Nic Mathieu to Direct WB's New 'Robotech' Movie

by Ben Pearson
January 25, 2013
Source: THR

With Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim stomping into theaters this summer (and a sequel hot on its heels), Steven Spielberg's Robopocalypse still on the horizon despite a recent delay, a Gaiking adaptation on the way, and Michael Bay's Transformers 4 coming in 2014, it looks like one of the next big blockbuster trends will be giant robots smashing their way through theaters. THR reports that Warner Bros. has signed commercial director Nic Mathieu to direct Robotech, the long-gestating adaptation of the Japanese anime property that producer Tobey Maguire has been trying to get together since 2007. More below!

THR calls the story a "sprawling sci-fi epic" that takes place on Earth after an alien spacecraft has crash landed. Humans have engineered giant robots from the technology, and must use their newfound weaponry to hold off three waves of alien invaders. They're looking to develop this as a franchise starter (natch), so basing one movie on each of the three big attacks seems like a no brainer. Robotech will be Mathieu's directorial debut, but you can check out a batch of his commercial work here if you're interested in getting a feel for what kind of stuff he's done in the past.

I would say that the viability of this project is questionable to me, but in a world in which Dwayne Johnson tries to get a movie going based on a single illustration, anything is possible. Maybe Maguire's involvement (along with producers Akiva Goldsman, Matthew Plouffe, Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell) and a script that was once written by Lawrence Kasdan can help separate this project from a lot of those others in development that sound extremely similar. Interested?

Find more posts: Development, Movie News, Sci-Fi

22 Comments

Oh good lord, this will be a massive undertaking for the new director. Another one of the classic animes of my childhood. Wanting them not to f*ck this one up would be an epic understatement. But some of this guys stuff look pretty interesting, so good luck!!

bat0u on Jan 25, 2013

Robotech is a huge undertaking for a movie. To cram the entire Macross, Southern Cross, and MOSPEADA sagas into three movies will be incredibly difficult. I loved this show as a kid, and I wish them luck trying to pull it off properly.

Thexn on Jan 25, 2013

I doubt they'll do all three Sagas as one Trilogy. It'll make more sense to do each Saga as it's own Trilogy. Really looking forward to this as RobotechMacross is one of my most influential anime series growing up. Though with an unproven director to take on this big a project sounds kinda iffy. Hoping for the best.

Nate on Jan 25, 2013

I'm skeptical on that one. Each saga in it's own trilogy means nine movies. That's a hell of a lot of screen time and financing. I'm thinking the money behind the movie will wait and see how Pacific Rim and the other giant robot movies do first then decide.

Thexn on Jan 27, 2013

Agreed. If they do the Macross saga like how the 1984 Macross animated film was done, well, there might be a chance. But as you said, doing Macross would require 2-3 films, at least. While I'm eager to see this happen, it's going to be quite the challenge. Still, keeping the fingers crossed that something good will happen.

Scopedog on Jan 27, 2013

I still remember the "Lynn Minmei" this anime was very near and dear to me growing up,

korbindallis on Jan 25, 2013

I hope they start "small", there's a lot to cover, hehe. Any word on why this was not made in Japan, or do they have a propper live-action version(read: not craptacular) I am not aware of ?

David Banner on Jan 25, 2013

I had detention hall most of my jr high school life due to robotech ending at the same time class started.. Would love to see anything robotech on a big screen! Lawrence Kasdan? Im in!!!

lando on Jan 25, 2013

Hell, my love of the show led to me going into illustration and animation. For good or ill, it truly changed my life.

Scopedog on Jan 27, 2013

Yep...it seems that Pacific Rim is going to usher in a new era of Hollywood blockbuster filmmaking. Of course, Transformers and Cloverfield were sort of precursors, but Pacific Rim is going to blow the doors off the hinges in this department. Giant monsters, Giant robots, etc. We have Godzilla the next May, Gaiking lined up, now Robotech lined up, surely someone will go after Voltron, etc etc

Chris Groves on Jan 25, 2013

Let's hope so.

Scopedog on Jan 27, 2013

*Vomits on site* Any news about the Robotech movie makes me sick, because I know it's going to join Speed Racer or Dragonball Evolution in sucking like a five dollar whore! But the sooner this is made and kills the Robotech name with it, the better! I mean, Robotech's Movie is a name only product, made without the support or permission of Big West or Shoji Kawamori. What's the point in that? If you need another crappy robot movie, watch those awful Micheal Bay movies! All hail lord Shoji Kawamori! Long live Macross! Death to Harmony Gold! Robotech fans should kill themselves for the love of lord Shoji Kawamori!

ex-sell69 on Jan 26, 2013

"Robotech fans should kill themselves for the love of lord Shoji Kawamori!" Uhh....love Kawamori myself, but I'd like to live little longer, thanks....;)

Scopedog on Jan 27, 2013

FUCK YOU I WANT GUNDAM!!!!!!!

Jericho on Jan 26, 2013

Easy, Jericho....if this and PR are successful, then we'll see a great live-action GUNDAM. One that would be way better than G-SAVIOUR.

Scopedog on Jan 27, 2013

This is definitely the place to start before Gundam. If they screw this up you wouldn't want Gundam. Hell, I want Gundam but I want Gundam right. I want Robotech right since I was into that before Gundam so we'll see. I hate being a long fan and excited when something gets made into movie only to be disappointed when it comes out *cough* DBZ *cough*

tra la la la la di da on Jan 29, 2013

Bandai tried a live Gundam movie back in I think the 80's. It flopped bad and they are afraid to try again.

Ed Nolan on Feb 3, 2013

Director has got a great commercial reel, and hope he can tell a story. Would be good news for the RLAM to keep moving for me. I'm an actor that's been on a Robotech mission! http://www.projectrobotech.com

Tana Sarnt on Jan 26, 2013

There was a live Gundam movie and it sucked. I really have no high hope for this live action Robotech movie, unless the movie is made by the Japanese. The Japanese stay close if not true to the source. Hollywood is going to take too many liberties and its just not going to be good or just bad to its fan base.

Franklin Fang on Jan 26, 2013

Yeah, G-SAVIOUR wasn't all that....but to do this film would require taking liberties with the source material. And also, getting only the Japanese to do it would also require taking liberties with the source material. The live action YAMATO film was amazing, no doubt, but a lot of stuff had to be done to compress a 20+ episode series into a 2 hour film. Maybe this should be a Japanese/American project, but there's the whole Macross rights legal tangle in Japan, and that had nothing to do with ROBOTECH. We'll see how this goes--nothing to do but wait....

Scopedog on Jan 27, 2013

I hope this turns out epic. Has anyone heard any progress on the following animes supposedly in the works for a live action feature film? Akira, Bleach, Cowboy Bebop, Ninja Scroll, Ghost in the Shell I would love to see any on that list made. Its like an anime geeks wet dream. Most of that list have gotten me addicted to anime and plays a influential role for anyone that loves original story telling that makes you crave something new for some imagination. Hey Ben or Alex!? Give us more anime updates please!!

timnimbus on Jan 29, 2013

So they pick a commercial director for a project like Robotech? As a big fan of Robotech I am very disappointed. And stuffing the entire first war into one movie? I was SO looking forward to this movie. What a huge let down.

Ed Nolan on Feb 3, 2013

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