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Voltron Coming To The Big Screen

wo1verin3 writes "Voltron is coming to theatres!. While details are sparse, we do know it will be produced by Mark Gordon ('The Day After Tomorrow'). I'm still waiting for the DVD sets." From the article: "The 'Voltron' animated TV series debuted in 1984, about the same time as Hasbro's Transformers toy line, igniting a morphing robot phenomenon. According to sources, Voltron has generated $750 million in worldwide licensing and nearly $200 million in toys and merchandising since 1984."

10 of 347 comments (clear)

  1. Why wait for the movie? by bigwavejas · · Score: 4, Interesting
    --
    "Simplify, simplify, simplify!" Thoreau
  2. Since 1984? by Sierpinski · · Score: 3, Interesting

    What does 'Since 1984' mean? What was the cutoff date for those stats? Prior to any news of a new movie, have there been any Voltron toys in stores for years? I don't recall seeing any for a long time now.

    1. Re:Since 1984? by rworne · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Well, there were the Godaikin "Goraion" (get it? five lions?) available through 1985/1986.

      The original series was called "Hyaku Juu oo Goraion" or "King of 100 beasts Go Lion". It enjoyed a run on Japanese TV from about 1981 to 1982.

      Check google for "golion" and "torrent" to see if the fansubs of the first few episodes are still available.

      --
      I tried every decent and legal way I could think of to resolve the issue w/the business before I rented the chicken suit
  3. Nostalgia Nausea by PDXNerd · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm waxing nostalgic for the good 'ol days of 1984, when cartoons were Japanese, cheap, and inventive, when toys were mass-marketed towards those clicks that like them..... I was in a click in my elementary school - we were the Voltron Kids. We were enemies with the GI Joe guys, and I eventually became a traitor because I liked Thundercats and became friends with the Thundercats. In reality, I could use less nostalgia and less crap in Hollywood. Transformers, Voltron - what's next, My Little Pony Strikes Back???

  4. CG or not? by grungebox · · Score: 2, Interesting

    That's a legitimate question, since there was that Voltron CG series in the late 90's that, honestly, I thought had much much better storylines than the original series. Granted, the CG made Voltron look like a toy and not a force to be reckoned with.

  5. Excellent.... by The+Lynxpro · · Score: 1, Interesting


    from the sounds of it, this will be the *Lionbot* Voltron. I can recall with envy some of the kids that had the Japanese import *Lionbot* that featured all of the shooting missiles that the American distributor (using the *Voltron* brand) was afraid to market.

    The *Lionbot* is the only version of *Voltron* that the general public remembers/cares for. There were two other versions remarketed in the States under the *Voltron* name (the car/plane one and the other version with the three robots that made a six arm combo), but in comparison, they were obscure.

    *Lionbot* *Voltron* was iconic. Its hard to forget a giant robot made up of five other lion-esque robots brandishing a giant sword that chops up all the other robot villains.

    Perhaps Disney might seek out the motion picture license for *TranZor-Z* (aka Mazinger Z). That show was funny and also had a following (not as big as *Voltron,* but bigger than the *Gobots* even with the *Gobots* junk toys) back in the 80s here in the States.

    Granted, a live action *Cowboy Bebop* would be sweet, even if Joss Whedon already pillaged that property (and *Blake's 7*) to create *Firefly.*

    Pillage...oh wait, I should have stated "homage."
    Tee hee... :) I won't even mention the "homages" to *Doctor Who* that were present in his *Buffy* over the years... :0

    --
    "Right now, somewhere in this world, Scott Baio is plowing a woman he doesn't love," - Peter Griffin, *Family Guy*
  6. 1984 -or- Year of the Lion Robot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    1984 was the big year for Voltron in the States. Dunno where you are, or how old, but in 1984, you either liked GI Joe, Voltron, Transformers or the traitorous Thundercats, He-Man, or GoBots.

    GI Joe kids are in Iraq today, The Voltron/Transformers are running your IT dept, and all teh rest are drooling on somebody's hamburger patty right now.

  7. Screw Voltron by Prince+Vegeta+SSJ4 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    lets have Battle of the Planets (Gatchaman), pr even Starblazers.

  8. Re:Why not make a Voltron Movie? by The+Queen · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Are kids today even allowed to have bikes and forts? Do they play outside or just watch crappy remakes all day?

    I took my Transformers, Barbies, He-man and Star Wars toys outside and buried them in my sandbox, and the neighbor's kid had his GI Joes do a rescue mission. Kids today have playdates and cellphones. Bah.

    --

    The House Between - Original Sci-Fi Series
  9. Re:Carion. by bedroll · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Obviously the lions. The car Voltron never really caught on in the US, though I admit that I'm not sure it caught on elsewhere. I vaguely remember the cartoon with the cars. I vividly remember playing with the car Voltron toys, though.

    The lion version was the original. It's what most people will remember. The biggest reason for this movie clearly is the nostalgia, which would be limited to a smaller audience by using the cars.