Live-action Robotech Movie

[Gubaba]

There's a great bit in Part 2 (at 18:40) that @gwyncampbell tweeted about, where Tommy said that "research done by Lionsgate" indicated that nobody wanted the original Macross and that everyone just wanted Robotech, or, as Gwyn summarized it, "HG: No one wants Macross."

This caused Kevin McKeever to seriously lose it, and he posted seven tweets in quick succession, telling Gwyn to retract his statement because it wasn't true and didn't happen. Then Maverick LSC chimed in, saying that Gwyn's statement was "libelous ;-) "... No, I don't know what the wink is meant to mean either.

Anyway, it was a fun couple of hours.

[Old_Nash]

More new comics????

NO!!! No Voltron X Robotech not again!!!

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

any updates on the skateboards? they look rad.

i'm hoping they make a kickstarter for it and one of the rewards is a skateboard signed by tommy yune

Edited July 7, 2015 by davidwhangchoi

[EXO]

There's a great bit in Part 2 (at 18:40) that @gwyncampbell tweeted about, where Tommy said that "research done by Lionsgate" indicated that nobody wanted the original Macross and that everyone just wanted Robotech, or, as Gwyn summarized it, "HG: No one wants Macross."

This caused Kevin McKeever to seriously lose it, and he posted seven tweets in quick succession, telling Gwyn to retract his statement because it wasn't true and didn't happen. Then Maverick LSC chimed in, saying that Gwyn's statement was "libelous ;-) "... No, I don't know what the wink is meant to mean either.

Anyway, it was a fun couple of hours.

Gwyn shouldn't mess with these guys... they are professional convention panelers! I mean... that's all they get paid to do, right?

[Jefuemon]

There's a great bit in Part 2 (at 18:40) that @gwyncampbell tweeted about, where Tommy said that "research done by Lionsgate" indicated that nobody wanted the original Macross and that everyone just wanted Robotech, or, as Gwyn summarized it, "HG: No one wants Macross."

This caused Kevin McKeever to seriously lose it, and he posted seven tweets in quick succession, telling Gwyn to retract his statement because it wasn't true and didn't happen. Then Maverick LSC chimed in, saying that Gwyn's statement was "libelous ;-) "... No, I don't know what the wink is meant to mean either.

Anyway, it was a fun couple of hours.

I was following the Kevin meltdown (having someone in your PR department acting like way. Stay classy HG!), but I missed Maverick chiming in.

[505thAirborne]

Care to summarize? Or was it the same as all their other convention panels ("Look, we're still relevant! Here's a tribute to Carl! This is was Carl would want!").

The guy in the red shirt reminded me of a Auctioneer/crooked car salesman for starters and then the excitement in his voice of how the RT site is now separate from the store made me cringe (Like who really cares). Then they showed off their Stealth VF-1J again and the audience acted as if they'd never seen one before. Something about RT printed skateboard and other crap. Didn't bother with Part.2 as I'm sure the praising of Carl would be there. Oh, and then there's Tommy Yune.

If they had told me that they signed a deal with Bandai or Arcadia (Or a company of quality) to make Alphas, Betas and reissue/make all 4 Cyclones I would have been amazed!!

[M'Kyuun]

That panel was nothing but a 20 minute commercial. Gotta say, I wouldn't mind having one of those Macross t-shirts. I wish the one with the VF-1 cutaway said Macross instead of Robotech. I'd get one with the kite, though.

For all their bluster concerning the live action movie, I like how they don't tell the audience that pretty much all the mecha will have to be new designs. Then again, Bay's designs don't look like Transformers either, and he made billions from his exceptionally sh!tty movies. Given that precedent, the Robotech in-name-only movie is gonna be a blockbuster.

The guy in the red shirt reminded me of a Auctioneer/crooked car salesman for starters and then the excitement in his voice of how the RT site is now separate from the store made me cringe (Like who really cares). Then they showed off their Stealth VF-1J again and the audience acted as if they'd never seen one before. Something about RT printed skateboard and other crap. Didn't bother with Part.2 as I'm sure the praising of Carl would be there. Oh, and then there's Tommy Yune.

If they had told me that they signed a deal with Bandai or Arcadia (Or a company of quality) to make Alphas, Betas and reissue/make all 4 Cyclones I would have been amazed!!

I doubt, given HG's sketchy history, that Bandai or Arcadia would ever enter into a contract with them. I think HG and Toynami have a blood pact.

It's a shame Toynami's quality is so poor, as I still think their Alpha design was the best looking/most faithful. If either Bandai or Arcadia ever get a Mospeada license, apart from HG, I'll be excited to get an Alpha that doesn't fall apart.

[JB0]

More new comics????

NO!!! No Voltron X Robotech not again!!!

YES! More Voltron/Robotech! The comedy train can't stop!

[505thAirborne]

That panel was nothing but a 20 minute commercial. Gotta say, I wouldn't mind having one of those Macross t-shirts. I wish the one with the VF-1 cutaway said Macross instead of Robotech. I'd get one with the kite, though.

For all their bluster concerning the live action movie, I like how they don't tell the audience that pretty much all the mecha will have to be new designs. Then again, Bay's designs don't look like Transformers either, and he made billions from his exceptionally sh!tty movies. Given that precedent, the Robotech in-name-only movie is gonna be a blockbuster.

I doubt, given HG's sketchy history, that Bandai or Arcadia would ever enter into a contract with them. I think HG and Toynami have a blood pact.

It's a shame Toynami's quality is so poor, as I still think their Alpha design was the best looking/most faithful. If either Bandai or Arcadia ever get a Mospeada license, apart from HG, I'll be excited to get an Alpha that doesn't fall apart.

I should have wrote "a company with quality like Bandai/Arcadia", but yeah won't happen with HG and their "Blood Pact" to Toynami, which indeed offers very poor quality items. The Beta-Tread is the only toy I have from them that didn't fall apart.

[EXO]

The Beta-Tread is the only toy I have from them that didn't fall apart.

That's what I said about... oh. nm... Voltron isn't HG.

[Einherjar]

Hard to believe these people tried to raise half a million to solve all their problems a year ago. It was also back when Warner Brothers was apparently beginning to end its professional relationship with the franchise.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

what about dem' skateboards surely those things will save the franchise

who needs to make original content? they just need to link to an some old news article in Variety and call it a day.

[jenius]

I doubt, given HG's sketchy history, that Bandai or Arcadia would ever enter into a contract with them. I think HG and Toynami have a blood pact.

It's a shame Toynami's quality is so poor, as I still think their Alpha design was the best looking/most faithful. If either Bandai or Arcadia ever get a Mospeada license, apart from HG, I'll be excited to get an Alpha that doesn't fall apart.

Bandai has already done business with Toynami through the Mega House line of Mospeada Ride Armor toys. I don't know if they would have viewed that as a successful venture or not but I think the general consensus is that there's nothing wrong with doing business with Toynami so long as Toynami is simply a distributor. Arcadia is forbidden from doing business with an HG-affiliated entity through BigWest licensing agreements and I would guess the folks at Arcadia probably still have some bad blood from the Toycom/Toynami/Sunrise fiascos. For Mospeada, if a company were to make a new product I'm relatively certain they would reach out to HG to try to sell the product stateside and potentially use Toynami as their distributor.

[Old_Nash]

That's what I said about... oh. nm... Voltron isn't HG.

But,both under Dynamite licensed seal^^"

http://i.newsarama.com/images/i/000/115/555/i02/robotechvoltron1.jpg?1382019609

[JB0]

But,both under Dynamite licensed seal^^"

http://i.newsarama.com/images/i/000/115/555/i02/robotechvoltron1.jpg?1382019609

Since when is Captain Harlock part of Robotech?

[Mr March]

I don't know anything about their product line, but most of the major 1990s and 2000s anime titles have blu-rays at this point, even many of the North American releases. Macross, the Ghibli films, Cowboy Bebop, Evangelion, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor, etc. Who the hell makes an announcement for any new product re-release in 2015 that ISN'T at least high definition? I know 4K is too much to ask of most anime distributors, but at this stage of the game announcing a damned DVD set is just absurd and embarrassing.

[M'Kyuun]

And don't forget the music CDs! More Reba, Please!

As far as Mospeada is concerned, if there was interest in producing and distributing the Legioss and Tread under the Mospeada license here in the US by a non-HG/ Toynami affiliated company, could HG do anything about it? It's not Robotech, even if that's the association many Westerners would make.

I'm sure they'd sue, but in the end, Mospeada is a separate and distinct entity.

Going back to the video, I was surprised how full the auditorium was for the RT panel. Apparently, there is a following, although by now, after all the setbacks and poor quality stuff HG has shoveled out, I would have expected that the majority of RT fans would have become jaded. My feeling is that most were there b/c of HG's new store site J/K ; I mean for live action movie news. Just another setup for failure and disappointment, which will only be compounded by the fact that none of the iconic mechanical designs will be present. I'm curious to see what Tommy Yune dreams up to replace the VF-1.

[jenius]

Yes, HG has the international merchandising rights to Mospeada so they would have to be on board for a US toy release.

Edited July 8, 2015 by jenius

[Keith]

Going back to the video, I was surprised how full the auditorium was for the RT panel. Apparently, there is a following.

More likely, a "good" panel was going to be in the same room after.

[Gubaba]

Funnily enough, I ran into Tony Oliver on the exhibit floor while HG's panel was going on elsewhere.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

Funnily enough, I ran into Tony Oliver on the exhibit floor while HG's panel was going on elsewhere.

did you go to the Zero Escape 3 Panel? i would've been so happy hearing that announcement live.

[Gubaba]

No, I didn't even get to see Renato's panel. I was manning the Satelight booth virtually the whole time.

[azrael]

Arcadia is forbidden from doing business with an HG-affiliated entity through BigWest licensing agreements and I would guess the folks at Arcadia probably still have some bad blood from the Toycom/Toynami/Sunrise fiascos.

"Fobidden" is such a harsh word. How about, they would rather not do business with a group that would likely cause them to lose money over an already rather expensive venture.

And yeah, I heard Tommy say Lionsgate did research and no one wanted Japanese-language Macross.

So here's to 20 (OK more like 10 cuz I fast-forwarded) minutes of my life I wasted listening to part 1.

-So we failed on Kickstarter. Here's some stuff to make you forget about it.

-Look new website. Look, new website store.

-Here's what we're selling. Here's some crappy audio, I mean songs. Here's some more crap music we dug out from God-knows-where. On sale on iTunes ™ and Google Play ™.

-RT Tactics Kickstarter.

-Buy our T-shirts.

-Buy our skateboards.

-Here's our other convention panels.

-Here's the talent behind the live action film.

-It's our 30th Anniversary...And we're giving away Macross stuff.

-Q&A

Someone else can listen to part 2.

[Mr March]

And yeah, I heard Tommy say Lionsgate did research and no one wanted Japanese-language Macross.

Now that sounds more likely and believable. If that wording is accurate, then all it means is North Americans don't like non-English spoken media. That's not Macross-specific, that's universal.

[Gubaba]

Now that sounds more likely and believable. If that wording is accurate, then all it means is North Americans don't like non-English spoken media. That's not Macross-specific, that's universal.

But he was talking about the "Robotech Classic Collection" which had 18 Robotech episodes and 18 dual-audio Macross episodes over four DVD-R discs.

[Einherjar]

Besides advertising new crap to sell and dangling voice actors to the masses, I think whatever benefit these convention panel videos, and the panels themselves, were supposed to have has disappeared. With the franchise relying more and more on Hollywood studios and the golden boys who find themselves involved in it, why care when all the important decisions are probably being made by none of people appearing in these panels?

-RT Tactics Kickstarter.

That may count as a different kind of failure as of last month straight from the owner of the company.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

No, I didn't even get to see Renato's panel. I was manning the Satelight booth virtually the whole time.

Funnily enough, I ran into Tony Oliver on the exhibit floor while HG's panel was going on elsewhere.

gald you weren't forced to man HG booth . it sounds like Tony Oliver is a real nice guy.

watching that hg presentation on youtube it looked liked tommy yune and his brother were trying to jump in on credit for the Robotech movie. by saying "we've got the right creative people involved" re: working with Sony on the movie. Sony's going to have nothing to do with these clowns.

Edited July 9, 2015 by davidwhangchoi

[slaginpit]

gald you weren't forced to man HG booth . it sounds like Tony Oliver is a real nice guy.

watching that hg presentation on youtube it looked liked tommy yune and his brother were trying to jump in on credit for the Robotech movie. by saying "we've got the right creative people involved" re: working with Sony on the movie. Sony's going to have nothing to do with these clowns.

are you talking about this yune?

Cause if you are I just want to punch him in the face. HARD. I dont know that voice, the way he looks. He is so knockout- able

[EXO]

watching that hg presentation on youtube it looked liked tommy yune and his brother were trying to jump in on credit for the Robotech movie. by saying "we've got the right creative people involved" re: working with Sony on the movie. Sony's going to have nothing to do with these clowns.

What? But they said THEY hired James Wan!!!

[EXO]

One hilarious thing was when they said that even though the Kickstarter failed, at least the idea of Robotech Academy is out there now. I mean that's all it takes to make a franchise right? Get the idea out there. Never mind coming out with any sort of media, story or product. Well they'll probably sell the never before seen Alpha Fighter scheme never used in the never released classic Kickstarter campaign. Which was really just a redressed, repackage of Sentinel. Not that Shadow Chronicles wasn't any different. It's a good thing they finished that one. That way they were able to jump on to newer better things.

[azrael]

What? But they said THEY hired James Wan!!!

...

Didn't know they had input into the whole matter... Reminds me of the Dog-&-Pony show they did when Lawrence Kasdan was attached to write or Miller & Gough from Smallville-fame were attached..

[azrael]

I want those 20 minutes of my life back.

Part 2

All Q&A.

-WE ARE TALKING TO THE Live-Action PRODUCERS!!!!! OMG, they actually talked to us. OMG! OMG! OMG! (I get the feeling this could get way more graphic. Like past NC-17. Yeah, just try to get that image of McKeever out of your head.)

-We're giving away free crap!

-Move movie talk? Still to early. (No crap. There isn't even a script to greenlight)

-Please take some free crap.

-Shadow Rising? We're waiting for the movie to give us $$$$$$$$$$$$.

-Tweet or FB a post saying McKeever wanted Arnold to play a character. Sony will then cut HG out, thereby bringing joy to Sony as they don't even have to pick up the phone when HG comes asking for royalties. DO IT NOW!

-Movie Designs? Tommy dances around the fact THEY CANNOT USE MACROSS DESIGNS. (No crap)

-Come to our panels please!!!! We're gonna repeat the same panel we did from last year. Have some free crap!

-Games? P$4. Have some free crap!

(These are some of the dumbest questions EVER. SERIOUSLY. Are these people living in a bubble????)

-Have some more free crap.

-RT Blu-ray? No. We need $$$$$$$$$ to make more $$$$$$$$$$$$.

-WE ARE TALKING TO THE Live-Action PRODUCERS!!!!! Have some free crap! (Really, we're talking XXX kind of a$$ kissing here...)

-Tobey Macguire was a waste of time.

-Robotech-in-name-only.

-If RT movie fails? We can still sell you morons more crap and YOU WILL BUY IT. (That's how they still have trademarks. People still buy their products.)

-Macross? People tried to import without us but we intervened and we put an end to that.

-We shut down the forums for good. Use FB where we can see your real name and stalk you.

-DC Comics is gonna let RT-license expire. (Yeah, cuz the WB-overlords said no thanks.)

-Q:Your merchandise is crap. HG: We have no control over the junk you morons will eat up. Go see them. They might be here. F*ck off. (This is pretty much how it went)

-The producers are big fans of Robotech. (OK, this is the most overused, pile of crap statement that EVERY freakin' director and writer has used. They are fans only if it brings in $$$$$$$.)

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

What? But they said THEY hired James Wan!!!

apparently, Tommy Yune hired Sony and approves their involvement.

[Keith]

lol, everyone is now permabanned from their forums.

[Mr March]

Didn't know they had input into the whole matter... Reminds me of the Dog-&-Pony show they did when Lawrence Kasdan was attached to write or Miller & Gough from Smallville-fame were attached..

Whenever IP owners sell their property to be adapted by a major Hollywood film, they almost always have no input. IP owners love to talk up their involvement with Hollywood because it's a thrill, an ego boost, they look important to others, etc. And the more small time the IP owner, the more they talk. HG fits that bill perfectly.

Reality is whenever an IP owner signs any agreement with the major Hollywood studios, the IP owner doesn't have crap to say about any of it. They get a token producer co-credit and that's it. Hollywood holds all the cards and makes all the rules; your IP "film rights" are temporarily sold to the Hollywood studio and they have TOTAL control over the film adaptation IP. They can do whatever they want with the IP, from a film that resembles nothing of the IP to making nothing with the IP at all.

If any of the HG/Robotech panel flat out says they had any influence on the Live Action adaptation (or "implies" they had some hand in it) they are lying like a politician. There are a thousand and one horror stories about Hollywood adaptations and the IP owners always tell the same sob story: once the IP film rights were sold, they had ZERO input. Only rare exceptions exist.

Edited July 9, 2015 by Mr March