Every few years you can count on hearing this news: “A live-action Voltron movie might be in the works.” Many have tried, none have succeeded, but there’s always interest in the 1980s franchise about robot lions that form up to make a mega creature.
Well, according to the Hollywood Reporter, the latest person to attempt to bring the franchise back is Red Notice director Rawson Marshall Thurber. Hot off one of Netflix’s biggest films ever, Thurber will co-write and direct a new pitch on Voltron that’s currently being shopped around the major studios. Reportedly, Warner Bros., Universal, and Amazon are among the interested parties but, of note, Netflix is not. Netflix is where fans can find the most recent iteration of the franchise, the very good Voltron: Legendary Defender. (Though, to be fair, Netflix is working on a live-action Gundam project, which is similar.)
A deal could be struck by the end of the week and then it’s just a matter of writing the script and getting to work. Thurber will co-write with Ellen Shanman, though it’s possible he might have to make a Red Notice sequel or two before moving on to another project.
With so, so many popular animated series getting live-action remakes these days (Avatar: The Last Airbender, Cowboy Bebop, and One Piece, just to name a few), you understand why Voltron, which has been around going on 40 years, would be in the mix. It’s an awesome concept ripe for big-screen shenanigans. And yet, for literally decades, filmmakers have tried and failed to make this happen, the most recent one being back in 2016. Will Thurber be the person to finally get all five lions into one? We’ll find out soon enough.
In the meantime, Voltron: Legendary Defender is on Netflix, Lego made a super cool Voltron a few years back (though it is since out of print), and we love this live-action Voltron fan film. So there are plenty of ways to scratch that itch for giant robots while we wait for this one.
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