LIVE ACTION ROBOTECH (WB gets the rights)

[Steve68]

Maybe our perception of spending a lot of money isn't exactly that much money to WB. When you start throwing around lots of dollars a lot of previously closed doors magically open. Could it be that WB just needs to grease a few palms and they instantly get the rights to a Macross or DYRL story? WB is a pretty heavy hitter compared to HG.

[Razor x]

im all for a ROBOTECH LIVE ACTION MOVIE but im totaly torn with my love for all things Macross .

Thank god WB is in control and not HG i just hope they can work something out with the original creators and give us fans the Saga we realy want to see.

maybe they should just call the movie SDF-1 and write a new story.

heres to hoping they figure something out... I just hope it doesnt suck

[danth]

I've always wanted to see a movie post that consisted of two things: a giant UN Spacy kite, and the words "coming this summer." That would be the coolest.

Part of me thinks that HG can use the valk designs if they want, since they recently use them in Robotech: Battlecry and use them now in all the comics.

[TheLoneWolf]

Part of me thinks that HG can use the valk designs if they want, since they recently use them in Robotech: Battlecry and use them now in all the comics.

They can't. Battlecry, comics, posters and toys fall under merchandising rights, which Harmony Gold rightfully owns. Harmony Gold also possesses the film rights to SDF Macross, so they can broadcast the film, sub the film, dub the film, or edit the film outside of Japan however they please. If Harmony Gold wishes to reanimate the Macross mecha and/or characters for a movie or TV showing, they need the design rights, which they do not have.

As for Mospeada, Harmony Gold owns all the rights to it outside of Japan.

I'm not too sure what Harmony Gold's rights are with Southern Cross, but I think it's safe to say that it's the same deal as Mospeada.

Edited September 10, 2007 by TheLoneWolf

[Knight26]

Doesn't meant that they can't redesign the valks and give us *shudder* bayformer valks. *throws up imagining what that would look like*

[Zinjo]

Harmony Gold also possesses the film rights to SDF Macross, so they can broadcast the film, sub the film, dub the film, or edit the film outside of Japan however they please.

I wouldn't be too sure about that.

DYRL is so FUBAR with respect to international rights, no one really knows who owns what and where. If HG actually owned such rights outright, they'd have released the movie a long time ago, since it would be more of a cash-cow than their SDFM animation.

[SpacyAce2012]

I just heard about this today on IGN. I have mixed feelings on a possible RowBoatech movie.

However, I'm willing to give anything a fair shake. I suspect (like many others here) that it will be visually different from the animation. If so, then I'll judge it on it's own merits.

Even if I hate Robosuck with the passion that only a true purist can.

[KiriK]

please please please have decent looking valks that will be made into readily available toys.... =D

[azrael]

I wouldn't be too sure about that.

DYRL is so FUBAR with respect to international rights, no one really knows who owns what and where. If HG actually owned such rights outright, they'd have released the movie a long time ago, since it would be more of a cash-cow than their SDFM animation.

Who said anything about DYRL? HG does own the film rights to SDF Macross through Tatsunoko.

[danth]

Who said anything about DYRL? HG does own the film rights to SDF Macross through Tatsunoko.

TheLoneWolf talked about "film" rights, which confused me too.

It just dawned on me today that people will ridicule this movie if it involves F-16's flying in space. The movie will have to feature a futuristic looking fighter mode if they want to use it in atmosphere and space and still suspend people's disbelief.

Edited September 11, 2007 by danth

[JsARCLIGHT]

People will ridicule this movie no matter what it has. It could have the most perfectly designed trans atmospheric fighter to date or a giant flying Pikachu and the movie would still be hated by several people... and let's not forget the usual onslaught of critical "praise" that will be lauded on it. At this point in the game I'd like to see the movie made just to read some of the reviews by stuffy critics mainly just to see them try to "summarize" the original show.

[TehPW]

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Maguire-Pil...otech-6290.html

with 15 pages of comments, i'm sure someone put a link up for this already but...

"For those who don’t already know, Robotech is another one of those giant robot franchises lurking out there waiting to pick up Transformers’ scraps. Except unlike Transformers, the giant robots in Robotech are more like fighting vehicles, piloted by humans in a distant future where man must use giant robots to fight off an alien invasion. It’s kind of like the poor man’s Mechwarrior.

Like Transformers, Robotech was a cartoon in 80s. It originated in Japan, but was re-edited and re-aired in the United States. Unlike Transformers, it was never very successful. The show was watched only by a few hardcore geeks, and the subsequent role playing games, comics, toys and ancillary Robotech products it generated were loved only by a few niche fans. It just doesn’t have the built in American audience that Optimus Prime, or even other giant robot franchises like Voltron have."

now, questions? Sounds like he's bashing Robowrech (if so, i'll hand him a bigger hammer) if he think's it's just another GRF... do that mean he thinks CBT is better than Robowreck?

[Wes]

But Mechwarrior's initial designs were Robotech-owned...

[Scream Man]

No matter our opinions on Robotech, what he said in that statement is totally wrong. Robotech was much more beloved than just as a cult series, at least here in Australia! As big as Voltron....difficult to say, but maybe not. It'd be close though.

As for mechwarrior, Id never even heard of that till I was older.

[bankrupt]

Yeah, I remember seeing Mechwarrior stuff in stores and thinking "That looks like a destroid."

[ChrisG]

I know a lot of people here dislike or downright hate Robotech, but it annoys me to see some assclown make completely inane statements with no basis in fact. Poor man's MechWarrior?? Not very successful? I've never heard of this crappy site, but obviously this person has an ax to grind against mecha, or at least Robotech.

[terry the lone wolf]

Isn't MECHWARRIOR aka BATTLETECH still ripping off MACROSS/ROBOTECH designs?

[sabretooth]

obviously he LOVES being nailed by his father every night....

[Ranger565]

You know I can tell you what they can do. Ok so the Velks are kind of a F-14 tomcat rip off. So they dont Look like the velks we know. However, They can use and F-14 type clone. This movie is Perfict for 2009 summer. Thats the timeline of the TV show if I am NOT mistaken?

Things to look foward to.

1. Velks With 3 type of Transformation. They dont have to be Replicas, But god knows we would love them. expect some kind of double fin furture F-14 clone. ( However I pray to god they keep the Basic colors. Cannon Fodder, Fokker, Max Colors Etc.

2. Mecha They have to, they just do. Tomahawks, Defenders ( however they decied to do them)

3. Think of the Velks flying in the streets? Battling it out?

4. How the Zentron Mecha will look is Going to be the question. HOWEVER HG does OWN the Designs for the Sentinals( yeah I know but they are close to original( More box like)

5. SDF-1 will have to transform. Cant not have it.

My personal thoughts. I do NOT think Ben and Max ( robotech Names) should be in this movie. They should be a sequel. They should concentrate on The main 6 episodes ending with the Mars Battle. And if it dos NOT suck, Bring them in on the second movie. TOO Much content to bring into one movie. Keep the story Simple for the first 7 Episodes.

Their are WAY to many characters in those 7 that a GREAT movie could be created. Rick's Char ( or Hikru) however you want to keep it. Has alot of growing in that time. He needs to develop into the Commander he is. So keeping the first movie with him growing is the best choice. And ending the movie with Him Saving Misa AKA Lisa is the best way to do it. The end of the movie should be him getting his Medel of Honer Or whatever you want to call it and Foccker talking with him about how hes been promoted.

Think of Star Wars and how Luke had to grown before he got his power. Thats one thing I enjoyed abou Lucas. and even the first spider man movie. they made Toby grow into his char, they did NOT push it all into one movie. I would not make 36 episodes into 1 movie. You just cant do it. That would be WAY to fast for his char.

DYRL was WAY to fast. They tried to make 27 episodes into 1 movie. And to me too much to fast.

Just my 2 cents.

OK now your thoughts.

Edited September 11, 2007 by Ranger565

[Fade Rathnik]

All I can say is that if Mr Maguire is perusing doing this movie out of a want to do it then it may just turn out alright. If he has passion for the story in any degree that should transfer to the production.

[Mercurial Morpheus]

I know a lot of people here dislike or downright hate Robotech, but it annoys me to see some assclown make completely inane statements with no basis in fact. Poor man's MechWarrior?? Not very successful? I've never heard of this crappy site, but obviously this person has an ax to grind against mecha, or at least Robotech.

I'd say it was more a case of some dipwad who didn't do his research spreading misinformation because he feels they're ripping off his beloved Transformers (which he also gets facts wrong on as that originated in America).

Anyone care to register and correct his grievance errors?

Great I had to learn the title of the new Indy film from this idiot.

Edited September 11, 2007 by Mercurial Morpheus

[Keith]

well that does sounds like bok.

Wow, I totally forgot he was bok, or that bok even existed for that matter. Gotta love a company that will hire based on how rabbid their fanboys are...

[Zinjo]

Who said anything about DYRL? HG does own the film rights to SDF Macross through Tatsunoko.

Which makes things interesting considering all the elements that went into SDFM are owned by Studio Nue and Big West...

Definitely a FUBAR situation there!

[Zinjo]

I think there is something most are not considering. Hollywood!

I will be expecting a story similar to Macross, without the SDF-1 or Kawamori's designs and using the Invid as the "aliens" since their mecha would be alien enough and small enough to go hand to hand with a variable fighter (whether it be a Raptor, Lightning II or Mospdeada based) which will give the general audience the "wow factor" of giant robots kicking each other's asses...

WB has no obligation to use anything more than the Robotech name in its movie and nothing else, it's happened before and will happen again.

I fully expect that they take it into their own direction and try creating a new movie franchise out of it, if it makes it to screen.

Frank Agrama is a "producer" on the movie, but that just means he gets a paycheck from it and his company, HG gets a check for the movie rights. It doesn't mean there will be any fidelity to the animation whatsoever. If that were their aim, they would have brought more HG staff on board, but they didn't.

Worrying or hoping for some Macross on the screen is probably pointless, as I doubt even the Legioss (which HG has rights to) will be featured. I would expect the ride armor to show up, since that is a very cool mecha that audiences would enjoy seeing in action.

At what point in the RT story line the movie will take place is anyones guess, assuming that is considered at all.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Maybe the movie will be based on the mckinney novels? Hehe mecha will be controlled using a "thinking cap".

It would explain how pilots could do rolls on the ground so intuitively like in the cartoon when rick/hikaru dives to the ground catlike, rolls and goes into a "crouching-while-shooting" position to take out some enemy regult.

I would imagine the robots would not be slow and heavy like the power loader from aliens, but move more like the live action movie transformers do. They could use the thrusters in the feet to hover and back pack thrusters to "skate" around, get into close quarters combat with a giant alien and kick it in the nuts, as well as turn on the spot very quickly. (think of how it is done in Virtual On where you hover and turn instead of have the feet on the ground to turn)

Just give the valk something that sets them apart from the slower, more-chunky destroids and is reason why they have characters like max fight against aces with ease. (don't say he gets out of danger out of luck, that sucks. Give the credit of successful wins to the technology itself. More believable)

But really, this movie should be about the SDF-1 more than robots though. I just don't see how you can take out the SDF-1. You need this ship to be the core of the rest of the "franchise". Unlike something like independance day, earth puts all its hard effort into rebuilding the alien ship (that is the whole world is behind the project) and don't use conventional weapons against the aliens. They use the tech from the ship to fight the giant aliens which means you got to have the ship, and make the ship the real focus of the whole thing. (not just have planes fighting in earth against ufos)

The idea should be that the ship actually brings about all kinds of advances in technology in everyday use and not just military weapons. So people are surrounded by "robotechnology" and it's much different from the human-tech such that the planes are more special than the existing stuff and can do stuff previously thought impossible. (yes yes in macross they LOOK like f-14 because SK probably wanted them to be like something that existed in "real life" but ultimately in the story it is based on technology the aliens themselves brought to the world. (otherwise what would the point be of demonstrating the VF-1 at the airshow? The vf-1 has to be something that allows an ordinary person to start doing stuff they wouldn't have been able to do with current tech)

Also the idea that just because it can't use designs from macross = it must use mospeada designs is silly. Not being able to use the 80s designs, doesn't mean the STORY still can't be about macross saga itself. I don't think a f-14 look-a-like is really going to be that appealing anyway. (as much a fan I am of the VF-1)

[dodgethis]

Isn't MECHWARRIOR aka BATTLETECH still ripping off MACROSS/ROBOTECH designs?

Uh, FASA licensed the use of the designs back in the 80s when they first started BattleTech back in the 80s. Those designs were taken out in the mid 90s when HG threw a hussy fit over them. So yeah, you're a decade out of date.

And trivia, Studio Nue did the mecha designs for the Japanese release of BattleTech.

[Radd]

Who said anything about DYRL? HG does own the film rights to SDF Macross through Tatsunoko.

I thought it was determined that Tatusnoko had international distribution and merchandising rights, and those they sold to Harmony Gold? Wasn't it made very clear that Tatsunoko, and so HG, didn't have the rights to produce sequels or derivatives?

[promethuem5]

Maybe the movie will be based on the mckinney novels? Hehe mecha will be controlled using a "thinking cap".

It works in Battletech.

And trivia, Studio Nue did the mecha designs for the Japanese release of BattleTech.

And they were fricken amazing.

[terry the lone wolf]

Uh, FASA licensed the use of the designs back in the 80s when they first started BattleTech back in the 80s. Those designs were taken out in the mid 90s when HG threw a hussy fit over them. So yeah, you're a decade out of date.

And trivia, Studio Nue did the mecha designs for the Japanese release of BattleTech.

I heard FASA obtained their licence from a illegitimate source(ala with Malibu Comics & their Captain Harlock series). It was Revell that had the true licence to manufacture MACROSS related merchandise under the ROBOTECH moniker. HG sublicenced from Tatsunoko(I guess the rights they eventually bought) & Revell. It was proven that FASA didn't have a legitimate claim on those designs so they had to stop using Valkyrie & Destroid models in their game(though they've been making dervitives on MACROSS mecha for years ala MECHWARRIOR). I know about the new designs from Studio Nue but that has nothing to do with the HG case.

Edited September 11, 2007 by terry the lone wolf

[kensei]

Don't look at me. I'm one Macross purist who hasn't bought anything with the Robotech label on it since that coloring book I had when I was a little kid.

Me too. I bought one Matchbox VF-1, and I was so disappointed with it I never bought anything with the name Robotech ever again. I really wanted a bandai, but had no money and no access. Now that I'm in the workforce, it's different.

[dodgethis]

Oh, here we go again. The age-old trolling of FASA and Fanpro and whatever company holding the rights to CBT today for still ripping off the Macross designs. They've been doing their own designs since the late 80s. But considering how much you seem to choose to use 'MechWarrior', instead of using the proper BattleTech name, pretty shows your understanding of the franchise, or lack thereof.

Edited September 11, 2007 by dodgethis

[Mowe]

I can't wait to see this thread hits 500 when the first You-Tube teaser is leaked....

Edited September 11, 2007 by Mowe

[Zinjo]

But really, this movie should be about the SDF-1 more than robots though. I just don't see how you can take out the SDF-1. You need this ship to be the core of the rest of the "franchise". Unlike something like independance day, earth puts all its hard effort into rebuilding the alien ship (that is the whole world is behind the project) and don't use conventional weapons against the aliens. They use the tech from the ship to fight the giant aliens which means you got to have the ship, and make the ship the real focus of the whole thing. (not just have planes fighting in earth against ufos)

For a Macross movie, I'd agree, hence the ever present Macross in subsequent BW series'. However, in RT the ship was a cast away element and after the first chapter it was reduced to a mound of wreckage by the second chapter. It isn't THAT important in the RT universe as it is in the Macross universe.

Therefore I would be expecting an explanation of its absence with a line about stripping the ship bare for it's technology. This is not adverse to the RT story, since RT is all about the technology and the magic battery that runs it, not so much where it comes from. Macross is all about the mysterious race that started it all and the remnants of that civilization throughout the galaxy.

Also the idea that just because it can't use designs from macross = it must use mospeada designs is silly. Not being able to use the 80s designs, doesn't mean the STORY still can't be about macross saga itself. I don't think a f-14 look-a-like is really going to be that appealing anyway. (as much a fan I am of the VF-1)

It may not look like the Mospdeada Legioss (it is rather ugly anyway), it may look like Starscream from Transformers, though it's doubtful since they aren't going to want it to be compared.

IMO, I'd rather they stay away from the Macross property altogether, since that show deserves it's own movie, with all it's story, characters and mecha intact.

WB isn't going to respect the RT property as it is and Agrama doesn't care about that as much as he cares about filling his own pockets.

[Mowe]

Actually, do you think they will keep the title "Robotech"? It just sounds a little too corny for a feature film. May be it can get away with it like Transformer. I felt alright in the office to discuss Transformer over the coffee break, but I just can't imagine I walk up to my college and say: "Wooa...have you seen Robotech!!!" I think I'll get the stare....

Edited September 11, 2007 by Mowe

[terry the lone wolf]

Oh, here we go again. The age-old trolling of FASA and Fanpro and whatever company holding the rights to CBT today for still ripping off the Macross designs. They've been doing their own designs since the late 80s. But considering how much you seem to choose to use 'MechWarrior', instead of using the proper BattleTech name, pretty shows your understanding of the franchise, or lack thereof.

Welllllllllllllllll.. They don't name their games BATTLETECH it's called MECHWARRIOR.. So when they start to use BATTLETECH I'll use BATTLETECH.