A live-action adaptation of Voltron is currently in the works, co-written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, the director behind Netflix’s most-watched movie of all time, Red Notice. However, where the film will land is still relatively unknown, as news of the project sparked a heated bidding war in Hollywood over the emblematic giant robot.
The Voltron franchise comes from the Japanese sci-fi anime series Beast King GoLion and Kikou Kantai Dairugger XV, both projects from Toei Animation. The foundation of the series centers around five young space explorers who pilot a giant robot comprised of cars that join together to form the titular mechanical figure. The franchise instantly became a fan favorite and found multiple homes once studios put different iterations and reboots into place. Netflix became one of the landing spots for the giant robot in the streamer’s animated series Voltron: Legendary Defender. However, despite the platform’s overall familiarity with the Japanese anime, Netflix doesn’t appear to be in the running to obtain the live-action adaptation.
However, this isn’t the first time Hollywood has tried to develop a Voltron live-action film. Previous attempts faded from the topic of discussion in early phases of development, but the heated desire to obtain this project hints that audiences may finally get the long-awaited adaptation. Anticipation will continue to build once casting decisions for the adaptation surface, but finding the project a home is the first step in a long process. Voltron can be another cross-generational project, targeting different demographic across the spectrum, which would point toward a profitable revenue return. Generations that grew up with the Voltron would be in attendance, whether at theaters or home, alongside younger generations curious to see what the giant robot has to offer.
Thurber looks to direct the live-action film, but it’s unclear where the project falls in the calendar of his other projects. As stated, Thurber directed Netflix’s original film Red Notice, which starred Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot. The project quickly became a hit on the streaming platform, leading Thurber to write and direct back-to-back sequels for the action-comedy. Those future projects are still in development but look to be the next targets of Thurber’s direction. So while a bidding war for Voltron ensues between studios and streamers, audiences may not see the giant robot’s appearance on screen for some time, depending on Thurber’s availability. Nevertheless, knowing the project is coming is enough to hold many over until more official news surfaces around the film’s onscreen arrival.
Aside from Red Notice, Thurber also directed Skyscraper and the action-comedy Central Intelligence, starring Johnson. Thurber and Johnson could potentially reunite for a fourth time for the Voltron live-action, placing the highly-regarded star behind the wheel to help pilot the giant robot. Johnson’s involvement is merely speculative, but it’s hard not to connect the dots between the two. It’ll be interesting to see where the live-action adaptation lands in the coming days, but it’s clear the film’s initial concept is good enough to fight over, which should have audiences excited for what’s to come.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
