Keith Posted October 1, 2007 Posted October 1, 2007 Do drug addicts count as zombies? But I agree, ain't no way an american live action movie is suddenly going to solve the rift between Big West & Tatsunoko (& by proxy HG). It'd be far cheaper & easier for WB to do what usually happens, which is base the movie very loosely on the source to begin with.
chrono Posted October 1, 2007 Posted October 1, 2007 I don't think azrael was speaking about designs. Taking into considering the likelihood of a complete visual redesign (likely akin to either Transformers, or simply pushing a more MOSPEADA visual style), changing/omitting certain words (Like how they apparently omitted the word "zentradi" from Shadow Chronicles, instead simply calling them "aliens", and the only instance of the UN Spacey fighting kite it was turned into a larger logo/altered enough to get away), and enough changes to the story, and it will be an entirely "Robotech" product, like Shadow Chronicles apparently was. Yeah you can do a ton of changes. But would it even look remotely like the material that attracted we english viewers 20+ years ago? Would it be near the story that is told in either? Just look at the tangent that SC had to go to in order to move away from their basis and make a somewhat original universe out of it!! And the movie would have to be a logical predecessor of SC in order for it to have traction within the RT community.
Radd Posted October 1, 2007 Posted October 1, 2007 You're forgetting two things. 1. Hollywood does all that to remakes and movie versions of old shows already. This would be no different. 2. Even if they did want to remain somewhat faithful to the original material...hey, they've got two full series worth of material to work with. They own Southern Cross and MOSPEADA via Tatsunoko. They can mine that for all the material they need. And it would not be difficult to make a Robotech movie that begins with MOSPEADA, only making vague references back to the previous events. MOSPEADA didn't have any preceding series to fill in every single detail until HG duct taped Southern Cross and Macross onto it.
Black Valkyrie Posted October 1, 2007 Posted October 1, 2007 Awesome thread! I feel better every time I check this thread! Love this cat site
Zinjo Posted October 1, 2007 Posted October 1, 2007 Well someone dropped a small bomb in the RT forums, whether it's legit or not, time will tell. Apparently the project is heading toward litigation according to this individual who claims it's from a reliable source. If such is true, then the only reasons could be that WB wants to base it on Macross and BW and SN are intending to defend their intellectual property rights or BW and SN want to be sure that the movie is NOT based on Macross. Either way, WB will learn who really owns what with respect to Macross and that could bode very badly for HG if WB is fixated on a Macorss based movie... All WB would need to do is license or purchase the "Macross" trademark from HG and then tie up any legal loose ends with them, before charging full steam ahead... With all the Macross productions and stories to mine, WB could certainly turn a Macross movie into a film franchise or the Macross legal issues could sink the RT deal entirely.... We'll see if any of this is true, in time....
azrael Posted October 1, 2007 Posted October 1, 2007 Well someone dropped a small bomb in the RT forums, whether it's legit or not, time will tell. Link?
big F Posted October 1, 2007 Posted October 1, 2007 BW and HG play ball, the day that happens is the day that zombies walk the face of the earth. I so love that as a Quote Im sure that if the whole ownership thing is gonna be played out WB will be the ones to do it they could no doubt buy HG and BW with some pocket change the ammount of money they have to splash around. Easy use your masive leagal dept to find out who really owns what, then if the other complains buy it or them up to shut them up, make film sell right to figures etc and hire som mor epeeople to count the money as it piles up.
Zinjo Posted October 1, 2007 Posted October 1, 2007 Link? http://www.robotech.com/community/forum/re...&forumid=31
Zinjo Posted October 1, 2007 Posted October 1, 2007 I so love that as a Quote Im sure that if the whole ownership thing is gonna be played out WB will be the ones to do it they could no doubt buy HG and BW with some pocket change the ammount of money they have to splash around. Easy use your masive leagal dept to find out who really owns what, then if the other complains buy it or them up to shut them up, make film sell right to figures etc and hire som mor epeeople to count the money as it piles up. If litigation does happen ownership of the rights will be settled, as WB isn't going to screw around about such things. Whoever owns what the studio wants to produce will be the one they negotiate with. HG can be bought, it's doubtful BigWest and Studio Nue will be so inclined to sell off what they fought so hard to reclaim, for any amount of money. Partnerships? Yes. Sellout? I doubt it.
lord_breetai Posted October 1, 2007 Posted October 1, 2007 Mari Iijima should get a cameo! She could be Minmay's aunt on the SDF-1 or her mother when she goes back to Yokohama.
azrael Posted October 1, 2007 Posted October 1, 2007 Yeh... 1 liners don't say much... It's not really a matter of who owns what; BW/SN owns the designs, Tatsunoko/HG own the animation to Macross. If WB wants to base the designs from Macross designs, they need to talk to BW/SN. HG can only reproduce images from the TV series. They are not (or should not be) allowed to create derivative works from Macross. They have licensor rights, not creators rights to the designs. Again, they can get around the issue by using Mospeada designs as a basis. It would help to know why possible litigation is needed. What are they using that would possibly bring rumor of this?
Sumdumgai Posted October 1, 2007 Posted October 1, 2007 (edited) If what you fear is true zinjo, then ew. Although I kind of doubt that any big studoi/company would be willing to dump money into a legal battle over one third of an old series that might not make that much money when turned live-action. And, what Azrael said too in the next post. Regardless, I somehow doubt we'll be seeing lots of multi-colored hairdos in the movie. edit: oh yeah, I should drink more coffee Edited October 1, 2007 by Sumdumgai
promethuem5 Posted October 1, 2007 Posted October 1, 2007 This thread makes my head hurt... How can Robotech fans even be viewing the same stuff as us Macrossists? There's one guy here who claims Yamato toys and Chunky Munkies are of the same poor quality as MPCs (and that 1/48 is a smaller but more expensive scale than 1/55)... there's a guy who doesn't know anything about where the MPC Alpha/Legioss came from... and then there's a guy who wants pewter miniatures of the Robotech designs as if those are a novel idea (Battletech AND Darkhorse models not-withstanding?) God help us if a Robotech movie is made that Robotech fans enjoy...
Zinjo Posted October 1, 2007 Posted October 1, 2007 (edited) If what you fear is true zinjo, then ew. Although I kind of doubt that any big studoi/company would be willing to dump money into a legal battle over one third of an old series that might not make that much money when turned live-action. And, what Azrael said too in the next post. Regardless, I somehow doubt we'll be seeing lots of multi-colored hairdos in the movie. It all comes down to what Mcquire pitched to WB. If it was a Macross based movie and both are fixated on that project then yes it would be worth it. When you consider Paramount took it's share of Transformers which cost $150m to make and grossed $697m at the box office worldwide (quadrupling it's investment in an industry that considers getting 2/3 of it's money back at the box office a good return), it IS worth it for WB to nail down the rights to an actual story about transforming robots that has hit potential. Transformers 2 has already been scheduled to come out June of 2009, so the race is on and big money is on the line to those who get their projects out of the gates ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Actually Radd, it was the other way around. Macek duct taped Southern Cross and Mospeada to Macross. RT became what was initially supposed to be the US debut of Macross. Edited October 1, 2007 by Zinjo
1/1 LowViz Lurker Posted October 1, 2007 Posted October 1, 2007 They should just hire shoji kawamori to design a new highly detailed vf-1 that avoids making it like the vf-1 from the cartoon. (in fact I think I would like it to look something like the vf-11 more ) In fact why not instead of using the old destroids from the toon, have him make a whole new set of destroids too? Bring on some armored core type things, maybe have some treaded mecha and spider mecha designs? Just using legioss as 'the vf-1' will leave nothing for the third robot-eck war. This is the way to go if I were in charge. Leave mospeada/new gen alone and rather than being lazy just get some new fighter that avoids the mess of resembling macross. Now when the toys come out, my dream of a "vf-1 that looks a bit like a vf-11 but isn't" is going to be awesome. I am going to be able to walk into a major toy store, buy a vf-1 that looks like a vf-11, has GBP armor and FAST Pack parts that clip on perfectly, has huge amounts of articulation, and not be made by toynami, as well as being mass produced in large number, and not be at the expensive import price whilst still maintaining good durability/quality. The detail will be high enough to please the older crowd. *wakes up from dream* ...argh... it's probably going to be some hollywood change where the robot has a face and acts like an alien in order to copy trasnformers. Rick hunter will be a character that talks to an AI controlled machine like Luke does to R2, and the robot is alive or something rather than be a mecha..
Keith Posted October 2, 2007 Posted October 2, 2007 Man, I'd laugh so hard if this somehow led to the downfall or buyout of HG...karma! But considering "if" this actually was going into litigation, it'd almost certainly be in the Japanese courts, and I don't think they look too kindly on big American companies trying to snag their franchises.
valkyrie13 Posted October 2, 2007 Posted October 2, 2007 Some times, people will initiate a lawsuit to either enjoin others from infringing on their rights or to clarify what legal rights they have. In this case, Big West could file a lawsuit against WB and HG to have a court order issued that enjoins WB from using the designs from Macross. Alternatively, WB could file a lawsuit to determine what they can and cannot do as a matter of US law using their license from HG. In light of the ongoing legal dispute between BW and HG, this may be a prudent things for WB.
Keith Posted October 2, 2007 Posted October 2, 2007 WB could also decide the whole thing isn't worth it, & walk away. That would also thoroughly piss off HG
jenius Posted October 2, 2007 Posted October 2, 2007 (edited) Keith, no offense but I think you're kinda way off on this. First of all, HG is set to make money. 1) They make a little money and nothing ever becomes of this, WB just locks the rights up and doesn't use them. 2) They make a ton of money and WB actually uses the product and does it well. A third option lies in the middle, product gets made, it's a turd, HG makes money but not a ton of it... probably uses that money to continue their animated efforts and disowns the live-action as alternate universe BS. HG isn't set to be pissed off in anyway, they're probably thrilled to have gotten this far along. Man, I'd laugh so hard if this somehow led to the downfall or buyout of HG...karma! But considering "if" this actually was going into litigation, it'd almost certainly be in the Japanese courts, and I don't think they look too kindly on big American companies trying to snag their franchises. Lots of problems with that. First, we're talking about WB and how they're going to use whatever rights they have. Second, we're talking about WB being in a legal battle with a company they may very well be able to buy (hell if I know on that one). You don't get stuck in a long protracted battle with a company you can either bankrupt or purchase... you either bankrupt or purchase them. Imagining that HG would catch collateral damage from whatever that would be seems to be... overly optimistic. If BW can't be purchased, bankrupted, or dealt with, I think we can all agree that WB would just avoid the legal matter entirely. How can Robotech fans even be viewing the same stuff as us Macrossists? There's one guy here who claims Yamato toys and Chunky Munkies are of the same poor quality as MPCs (and that 1/48 is a smaller but more expensive scale than 1/55)... there's a guy who doesn't know anything about where the MPC Alpha/Legioss came from... and then there's a guy who wants pewter miniatures of the Robotech designs as if those are a novel idea (Battletech AND Darkhorse models not-withstanding?) God help us if a Robotech movie is made that Robotech fans enjoy... C'mon now, you're gonna flame everyone on the RT boards and not even give me some credit for dropping that knowledge on the folks in error? Besides, you could easily level that same angst against Trainsformers before it came out and look where we'd be? God helped with some company walking away with millions of dollars and a sequel almost immediately put into development. Don't go telling me there aren't a million poorly informed Transformers fans out there... I don't mean to come off as an RT sympathizer here... I view this project with more than a bit of trepidation, but it seems like we've reached that twiddle-our-thumbs-and-wait-to-see-what-happens-next phase and some people are killing that time by descending into needless negativity based on pure speculation, rumor, and misconception. Edited October 2, 2007 by jenius
Keith Posted October 2, 2007 Posted October 2, 2007 I don't know, chances are if WB decided what they purchased from HG wasn't what they advertised, and that it was too much trouble to seek out proper rights from BV, WB would turn back & either void out the contract (and as such any money's) from HG, or sue HG for mis-representing their license.
jenius Posted October 2, 2007 Posted October 2, 2007 I suppose I am giving HG the benefit of the doubt in thinking they packaged the rights legally when delivering them to WB. If they didn't then heck, anything could happen.
big F Posted October 2, 2007 Posted October 2, 2007 In an ideal world WB would partner with BW/SN and purchase the original right from HG and give them some sort of profit spill which would allow them to contiue on their own project. In the alternative of that WB would partner up with BW/SN to make the film and WB would just sink HG eaither by buying it or just finacially flatten them. Ive worked in a few companies who have eaither been bought out or have bough out others, It gets really messy and pissy, so almost anything leagal or down right underhand can go on. I hope that in a year or so we are done slagging it down and are all looking hopefully at the first few teasers in the same way we were with Bayformers a year or so ago. If not... I may have to hide away all my Macross stuff As I am already board with the "aw look Robotech stuff" or "cool Transformers " from everyone who visits my house, but if the film sucks badly the embarasement may be too much to suffer.
jenius Posted October 2, 2007 Posted October 2, 2007 (edited) I may have to hide away all my Macross stuff As I am already board with the "aw look Robotech stuff" or "cool Transformers " from everyone who visits my house, but if the film sucks badly the embarasement may be too much to suffer. Man, I hadn't even thought about that angle. I could just see it now.. WHOA! Transformers... Actually no, that's a Robotech toy. Oh God, you mean that asstastic movie? Jeebus, you're an assclown. Well, i guess the good news is that we could always call things buy their Japanese production names. Edited October 2, 2007 by jenius
promethuem5 Posted October 2, 2007 Posted October 2, 2007 Haha jenius... not trying to flame everyone... just completely confounded as to how some people can claim to be big fans and know so little about what they are talking about.... but yeah, this thread is stagnating...
Scream Man Posted October 2, 2007 Posted October 2, 2007 Ill step up as a robotech fan. i like Macross better, but you can't have been raised in the west and not have some residual love of watching Robotech a s a kid. i dont get people who think HG raped their childhoods with it...
Warmaker Posted October 2, 2007 Posted October 2, 2007 (edited) It may be stagnating a bit, but it just needs more Protoculture. Fuel for the road. Ill step up as a robotech fan. i like Macross better, but you can't have been raised in the west and not have some residual love of watching Robotech a s a kid. i dont get people who think HG raped their childhoods with it... I loved and had fond memories of RT as a kid. But over the course of time, some as a kid and even several years ago when I stumbled onto this site, did I find out about how HG was preventing official, domestic releases of Macross merchandise in the US. I still recall in the 80's when RT was showing on TV. My friend who frequented Japantown in San Francisco in those days talked about a "Macross Movie" he was watching on a tape. I wondered why it never was released here, especially something so big and fancy in animation. In the 80's, especially before "Al Gore's Discovery of the Internets," you had to be lucky or extremely determined to find the fancy Japanese Macross merchandise. There were some really half-assed attempts by HG to get toys produced. If you dig up info on the Robotech Matchbox toys in the USA, you'll understand the horror. I still recall my Dad went through alot of trouble to get a 1/55 VF-1S Hikaru Strike for my birthday, and it was the ONLY Macross item I could ever get as a kid, and only because he worked in Sumitomo Bank in SF, right at Japantown (I of course wondered why it had a red/black stripe pattern, something not seen in RT). Otherwise, you were NEVER going to see the real Macross stuff. Over time, especially after getting "the gouge" here in Macross World, there were other shows and tons of other stuff that we would never officially see, thanks to the whole BW-HG fiasco that's still a hindrance. That's why HG is that "big rock inside my boots." Edited October 2, 2007 by Warmaker
1/1 LowViz Lurker Posted October 2, 2007 Posted October 2, 2007 (edited) WHOA! Transformers... Actually no, that's a Robotech toy. Oh God, you mean that asstastic movie? Jeebus, you're an assclown. Just put un spacy symbols on the toys. "No Robotech Defense Force mecha in my collection." Edited October 2, 2007 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker
Keith Posted October 3, 2007 Posted October 3, 2007 Ill step up as a robotech fan. i like Macross better, but you can't have been raised in the west and not have some residual love of watching Robotech a s a kid. i dont get people who think HG raped their childhoods with it... It's easy, robotech sucks compared!
Zinjo Posted October 3, 2007 Posted October 3, 2007 Well the principal issue is which is cheaper for WB. Eat up American HG, it's trademark rights on "Macross" and it's animation rights in America or try to eat up the Japanese companies of BW and SN who own the intellectual property rights? WB could absorb HG and then partner with BW to produce the movie, with all the support possible from the authoring studio. The potential money is there and unless the legal costs run into the 10s of millions of dollars, the amount of profit demonstrated by Transformers makes the risk reasonable. I doubt any case would be heard in Japan as those issues have already been settled. The outstanding issues need to be clarified in the US, not Japan. HG's actual legal ownership must be established in the US courts in light of the Japanese court decision which defined what Tatsunoko actually owned and was able to sell to HG in the first place. Whether the film gets made or not, if Macross is the basis for it, the legal questions will have to be settled once and for all for WB to proceed. Considering that Transformers made more total money in foreign markets than it did domestically. Which means WB has to lock down their international rights completely.
Sumdumgai Posted October 3, 2007 Posted October 3, 2007 That's only if they pursue going with a Macross arc adaptation. They could just as easily go with Southern Cross or Mospeada. "Giant humanoid aliens with greenish tinted skin, singing, kissing, and culture shock? Who would go to see that? We'll go with that Moss story about a human rebellion. That always goes good, look at Star Wars. And we have to change things to piss off the old fans while we're at it. We wouldn't be a big hollywood company if we forgot to do that."
Godzilla Posted October 3, 2007 Posted October 3, 2007 Um transformers is more popular unlike Robotech in the 80s. So the following is huge. As for Robotech, the following isnt as huge as the Transformers. It is more like a cult following or is it?
big F Posted October 3, 2007 Posted October 3, 2007 (edited) Man, I hadn't even thought about that angle. I could just see it now.. WHOA! Transformers... Actually no, that's a Robotech toy. Oh God, you mean that asstastic movie? Jeebus, you're an assclown. Well, i guess the good news is that we could always call things buy their Japanese production names. Thas exactly where I was thinking Edited October 3, 2007 by big F
Keith Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 That's only if they pursue going with a Macross arc adaptation. They could just as easily go with Southern Cross or Mospeada. "Giant humanoid aliens with greenish tinted skin, singing, kissing, and culture shock? Who would go to see that? We'll go with that Moss story about a human rebellion. That always goes good, look at Star Wars. And we have to change things to piss off the old fans while we're at it. We wouldn't be a big hollywood company if we forgot to do that." Do you honestly think they'd go with a SC movie? It's also highly doubtful they'd go with a straight Mospeada movie, perhaps a mish/mash of Macross & Mospeada, but I seriously doubt they'd do anything but some kind of origins story.
zeus the zentran Posted October 5, 2007 Posted October 5, 2007 Toby Mcquire might be too old to play Rick.John Travolta definitely too freakin old for Roy.Kirsten Dunst as Minmay?She ain't Chinese!I think she'd be a good Lisa though.It different role for her too.I think she's a better actress than she lets herself be.
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