voltron Tagged Articles at Cinematical

You probably remember that a little over a year ago, the news hit that Leonardo DiCaprio would be producing a live action version of the beloved anime, Akira, and as to be expected, fans were peeved. Within minutes, comment boards (including ours) were jammed with cries of white-washing, racism, and general predictions of overall crappiness. But, if you happen to have been one of those fans crying for blood; I've got some good news for you. Bloody Disgusting now reports that the live-action Akira has been pronounced "Dead as a doornail" by not one, but two inside sources -- I guess we should have seen this coming when the film was promised to be released in 2009, and there wasn't a signed cast member in sight.

For those not familiar with Akira, it was the story of a teen biker gang member who is subjected to government experiments and unleashes destruction on a post-nuclear Tokyo. Ruairi Robinson had originally been slated to direct a script by Gary Whitta (Book of Eli), but DiCaprio had promised that they wouldn't be moving ahead with Akira until they had a quality script, so maybe Whitta could have been the source of the delay. Either way, I guess we can all breathe a sigh of relief that Tetsuo and the gang are safe from the monster known as 'reboot fever'...at least for now, anyway.

After the jump; status reports on other classic anime in line for a Hollywood makeover...

Just one week after news surfaced that the big-screen Voltron was going into turnaround with Fox's Relativity Media, Latino Review is now reporting that Max Makowski has been signed to direct the live-action update. Now I know what you are thinking: 'Who the heck is Max Makowski?' Well, he might not be a household name, but according to Latino's sources "he's actually a great choice." Well, I guess we will have to take their word for it, because Makowski has a pretty scant list of credits to his name. The Brazilian born writer-director has been hired to direct an update of the 70's TV series Kung-Fu, along with penning the update to Hawaii Five-O.

Voltron has been languishing over at Fox since 2005, and other than a few rumblings about Justin Marks' script, the project seemed to have stalled. Marks' take is described as "a post-apocalyptic tale set in New York City and Mexico. Five ragtag survivors of an alien attack band together and end up piloting the five lion-shaped robots that combine and form the massive sword-wielding Voltron that helps battle Earth's invaders." But now that Relativity has finally secured the rights to the big-guy, I guess all the loose ends have been tied up. Besides, what's one more giant robot movie to add to the pile?

So if you are a hard-core Voltron fan with nothing but contempt for a live action version, at least you can take solace in the fact that nothing has been confirmed -- but you might want to get used to the idea of an 'MTV generation' Pidge now.

Have you had your fill of giant robots on the big screen yet? Well, Hollywood is banking that you haven't, and while we wait for the next installment of Transformers, it's time to turn our attention to some of the other giant robot flicks heading our way in the not-so-distant future. It's common knowledge that Justin Marks (Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li) is in charge of the big-screen adaptation of Voltron, and today a review of Marks' script has popped up online over at Latino Review -- and, thankfully, it looks like good news for fans of the 80's cartoon. But first off, you should know that the review is pretty descriptive about the plot and 'spoiler alert' doesn't even begin to cover it. If you don't feel like reading the whole thing (and it is pretty long), it can all be boiled down to this: the script rocks.

If you didn't grow up watching 80's cartoons, then Voltron might not inspire much excitement. But, for those of a certain age, Voltron was a religion. The story of Volton centered on a team of five young pilots commanding five robot lions which could be combined to form a giant fighting machine called Voltron. Our heroes are left with the task of protecting their home planet from an evil king and a witch named Hagar. But those were the old days, and according to Latino Review, Marks' script is going to deviate from the original anime origins. For the update, Marks' story centers on the fact that "The Drules have invaded Earth and kicked our ass in the ONE DAY WAR. Humanity has gone underground. New York has been decimated and our story opens on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Drule invasion."

We knew it was coming. With the current trend of adapting '80s cartoons/toys into movies, Voltron: Defender of the Universe was a logical property to bring to the big screen, and we'd already heard that producer Mark Gordon (Talk to Me) was developing something based on the series for awhile (and it wasn't Cloverfield). Thanks to the enormous success of Transformers, though, the project now has the interest of 20th Century Fox, whose New Regency wants to put the project on the fast track. As we've previously known, Justin Marks, who is also penning the new Masters of the Universe and Street Fighter movies, is working on a script. So far, the only thing revealed about Marks' plot is that Voltron will be set in post-apocalyptic New York and Texas following an alien attack. To defend the Earth, five "ragtag" survivors get together to pilot different-colored lion-shaped vehicles, which unite to form a giant robot.

Personally, I always preferred the Voltron made up of vehicles, even before the lion-comprised version started reminding me of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. But then, my preference had more to do with the toys than the cartoon, because I really liked toy cars -- especially transforming toy cars. I doubt I ever saw the vehicle Voltron (aka Voltron of the Near Universe) on TV. Maybe if the first Voltron movie does well, they can add the other Voltrons to the sequels (obviously Fox wants a franchise). Would that even make sense, though? Also if this is successful, I'd like to see the following giant robot movies made: Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots: The Movie; a remake of Robot Jox; a new Ultraman; GoBots; Robotech; Gundam. And I'm still missing a lot of other great anime that could be adapted.

We should pray that Fox doesn't simply want to cash in on the Transformers popularity by doing this half-assed and cheap. The effects need to be as good as those in Michael Bay's blockbuster. Also, the thing needs to be as entertaining; there should be a young cast as enjoyable and talented as Shia LaBeouf, not just some hot faces and bodies who would be more appropriate on a soap opera. And I'll just throw this out there: the third act should be less confusing than Transformers. Just because it looks cool and thrills and entertains us, that doesn't mean we have to blindly ignore logic and reason (maybe I'm just an idiot, but I still don't know why Transformers' climax takes place in a metropolis -- and I haven't found anyone to explain it to me, other than "for more damage").

With Michael Bay's Transformers pulling in Daddy Warbucks dollars at the box office, it's inevitable that we'll soon be seeing a flood of films based on cartoons making their way to theaters. The question is: Will we be treated to quality adaptations of cartoons that actually do lend themselves to the big-screen treatment ... or will we have to endure a two-and-a-half-hour "epic" entitled My Little Pony: At World's End?

As it happens, studios are already answering this question, with a bevy of 'toon-based films set to hit cineplexes this year and in the not-so-distant future. First, after years of speculation and anticipation, The Simpsons Movie lands in theaters July 27. Then in August Jason Lee lends his voice to a live-action Underdog movie (he's the superheroic dog), and in December he pops up again (in human form this time) as David Seville in the live-action/animation hybrid Alvin and the Chipmunks. And next summer, the Wachowski bros. will try to spin cinematic gold out of Speedracer, starring Emile Hirsch and Christina Ricci (sorry, no Jason Lee this time).

Also on the horizon is a live-action CGI Thundercats flick, in which Lion-O and an army of humanoid cats (yes, you read that correctly) battle the evil sorcerer Mumm-Ra on a planet known as Third Earth. And last but not least is a real gem for the true cartoon aficionado: a live-action movie based on the Japanese anime 'toon Voltron, about five rebels who battle evil using robotic lions that unite to form one giant ass-kicking robot warrior (Voltron) when the individual lions inevitably get thrashed.

That's about it as far as upcoming cartoon-based film. Which other cartoons would you love to see made into movies? Personally, I'd love to see a crossover mash-up of two different 'toons, Alien vs. Predator-style. I mean, who wouldn't line up to see SVGB: Smurfs vs. Gummy Bears?

If you're at all familiar with the original 1994 Street Fighter film, then you might consider it a guilty pleasure or as the tragic final credit of the distinguished actor Raul Julia. Either way it's safe to say it was no masterpiece. Back in October, Variety had reported that Hyde Park Entertainment was putting together a remake with Justin Marks (Voltron) on board to pen the script. Now, Latino Review has a script review for the 114 page treatment. This time around, Marks has decided to put the focus of the story on Chun -Li. The plot follows Li in her search for revenge for the murder of her father. Other characters mentioned in the review were head baddie Bison, Balrog, and Vega -- but none of the other Street Fighter characters were included, so it seems that it's going to be a one-woman show.

There hasn't been much to say about the production since some strange casting rumors had surfaced that Jessica Biel was being considered for the lead. But despite her similarities when it comes to thigh muscularity, she is a bizarre choice for the part. Plus, I doubt there is a shortage of Asian actresses who could tackle the part. If Latino Review's source can be trusted, the film promises to be a vast improvement over the Jean-Claude Van Damme cheese-fest, with plenty of hard-core Hong Kong style action. Now, if Hyde Park and Capcom can only figure out their casting problems, they might be on to something.