Tobey Maguire to Produce and Star in Robotech Live-Action Movie
Robotech (Live-Action) Movie — By Nix on September 7, 2007
Okay, maybe saying Tobey Maguire will produce AND star is a bit premature, but Maguire WILL produce, that much we know for sure, the upcoming Robotech live-action movie for Warner Bros., who just finished securing the movie rights to the Japanese anime series and has handed it over to Spider-Man himself. Obviously if Maguire is smart, he’ll put himself in the pilot chair of one of those giant robot mechas, because this thing is going to be HUGE. If you thought “Transformers” was a big deal, how about an army of jets that can transform into giant robots with huge friggin’ laser cannons battling it out with big ass aliens? That’s Robotech!
More from The Hollywood Reporter:
After a lengthy negotiation, Warner Bros. Pictures has picked up the rights to bring anime classic “Robotech,” which featured giant robots known as mechas, to the big screen. Maguire is producing through his Maguire Entertainment banner and is eyeing the lead role in what the studio plans on being a tentpole sci-fi franchise.
“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.”
Drew Crevello also is producing through his Supercool Hollywood BigTime Prods. Craig Zahler (”The Brigands of Rattleborge”) has been tapped to write the screenplay.
Very, very cool. I loved this series when I was a kid, and no doubt the CGI advances in “Transformers” made transforming jets and robots possible for “Robotech”.
Here’s a breakdown of the original anime storylines via Wikipedia:
Within the combined and edited story, Robotechnology refers to the scientific advances discovered in an alien starship that crashed on a South Pacific island. With this technology, Earth developed giant robotic machines or mecha (many of which were capable of transforming into vehicles) to fight three successive extraterrestrial invasions.
[The storyline spans] three generations, as mankind must fight three destructive Robotech Wars in succession over a powerful energy source called “Protoculture”:
* The First Robotech War (The Macross Saga) concerns humanity’s battle against the Zentraedi, a race of giant warriors who are sent to earth to retrieve the flagship of the Robotech Master Zor. The ship contains the last known source of Protoculture in the universe.
* The Second Robotech War (The Masters) begins when the creators of the Zentraedi, the Robotech Masters, attempt to take up where the Zentraedi left off, and capture the protoculture held within the remains of the SDF-1.
* The Third Robotech War (The New Generation) occurs after the alien Invid have been alerted to the existence of Protoculture on Earth by events that transpired at the end of the Second Robotech War. The planet is conquered, then enslaved, and it is up to the Robotech Expeditionary Force to retake their ancestral homeland.
Damn, this could be very, very cool…
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76 Comments
Toby Maguire – NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Holly Marie Combs – Lisa Hayes – OK
Kristen Kruek – Lynn Minmei – SURE!
Seth Rogen – Ben Dixon – GREAT!
Viggo Mortensen _ Roy Focker – VERY GOOD!
Jada Pinkett Smith – Claudia Grant – OK
Jared Leto – Maximillian Sterling – YEAH
Alicia Witt – Miriya ( Sterling ) – HECK YEAH
BTW – Kristin Kreuk IS Asian. Half, that is.
Gloval… Al Pacino, maybe? Look at the face!
Can’t wait to see the hair dye on the others!
How come no one’s casting any of the other Zentraedi?
I’m 32-years-old and still remember vividly rushing home every afternoon to catch the next installment of the trilogy… it was epic, romantic and smart– nothing at all like most of the cartoons being force fed to us.
Loves were lost, heros were killed and humanity realized even in the face of conflict with an inhuman foe. That was Robotech. A new mythos charting classic themes with a very “mature” scope. There was nothing quite like it then and there has been nothing of its breadth and magnitude since.
A “Space Opera” in the truest sense of the word. Robotech charted the lives of complex characters over the course of multiple generations against the backdrop of intergalactic war. Wow!
Can you say cool? I can and I spell it with a capitol “R”. Let us hope they do the long overlooked series justice for today’s mainstream while not cheapening or denigrating its depth for those of us who still look back at it with a kind of adolescent, coming-of-age awe.
Enough said.
Very true, the only thing that has come close is Babylon 5. I only hope they can treat it with the same respect. And once agian Edward James Olmos for Gloval!
I’m 30 years old and I’ve always been a huge fan of robotech and only recently managed to get hold of the second two additions to the series.
I fly Fighter Jets for a living and probably owe my initial inspiration to Robotech. Advances in special effects and CG have only recently reached a level where they can do justice to the Robotech series, judging by what was accomplished by Transformers and even Final Fantasy. Robotech, in my opinion, is far superior to Transformers or any other similar series and is an opportunity to re-ignite a romance with aviation and space for people of all ages. Robotech was a true space opera and I only hope they dont allow the movie to be too shallow, it must maintain the depth of the origional animated series while still adding something new to the genre.
I feel that it needs to be presented in the form of a feature film as opposed to a series because the end result is of that much better quality and the possibility does still exists to turn it into a series as in Star Wars.
As for the actors, I generally agree with the previous comments posted but also want to point out the fact that Rick Hunter is a pivotal roll for the movie and almost needs to be played by a new young actor much in the lines of what Tom Cruise did for Top Gun in 1986.
Either way I’m looking forward to my childhood inspiration becomming a successful box office hit!!
I believe the movie should focus on the first 3 episodes of the series. New viewers could be INTRODUCED to the main characters, not go too in depth. (Its a 2h movie)
I see the movie focusing on Rick Hunter, THROWN into battle with a machine he does not understand. This will make us relive that first moment when his plane transforms into Battloid mode. (UNBELIEVABLE MOMENT).
They can also focus on the government wanting the SDF to leave earth. I hope they capture the battle sequence in Macross city properly. Should be seen as veritechs flying around in the streets, hiding behind buildings and taking cover from the battlepods.
If they capture this sequence properly, it could be the best piece of SCI FI imaginable. Lets hope they pull it off!!
Wow. Robotech (or Macross) would be great in live action, but I just didn’t like the Robotech: The Shadow Chronicle, the mecha desain is really awful
I prefer the battle scene more like MACROSS ZERO or the Lattest Macross series MACROSS FRONTIER, but it would be fine if the story is based on Robotech (even though I more prefer the Original Macross story, hehe)
The possibility of this live action Robotech movie actually becoming real simply cannot be put in words! As a kid watching this complex cartoon with some serious storyline really captivated me from the start. My son , Christian, likes this movie, he is so crazy about this movie.
ROBOTECH the movie!?!?!?!? I’ve waited soooo long! but unfortunately
i realize besides “Dark Knight” most cartoon to film jumps will always
consider merchandise ie TOY’S so they most likely wont waist a massive
money opportunity like Robotech and make it for adults alone! AND YES THAT WOULD KILL THE MOVIE, even tho the cartoon did a good job!
here’s hoping i’m wrong!!!!
Fantastic that they are making a live action movie but by god if Toby screws this up I will be boycotting all his movies.
I hope everyone will follow me in this if he screws robotech up.
I have been waiting for a live-action Robotech movie(s) for over twenty years. I want the original soundtracks, not updated Hannah Montana and cool new rock and rap songs. I think a group of no-name actors and actresses would do well. The film needs the original U.S. narrator (I can not remember his name). I am aware of the necessity to update certain aspects of a genre to fit into a wider audience for financial gain. However, this would be a fan based film(s). This one needs to stay as close as possible to the original story-line.
linkin park would be awesome music for the movie
The orchestrated theme on “The Shadow Chronicles” was a great rendition.
“What I’ve Done” was good for Transformers; maybe they can do a similar style song for RT, if signed on. However, i must say that i will be rather disappointed if Iron Maiden’s “Aces High” doesn’t make it into the mix. I saw the video online and it just seemed to fit (although i must admit, Robotech is a lot deeper than the average speed metal/ punk wave song – more in the line of orchestrated opera).