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Voltron Brandishes His Blazing Lawsuit
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Column by Scott Green
In early October, during the Providence Anime Conference, a number of anime industry sources, including Kevin McKeever of Harmony Gold (Robotech), FUNimation's Senior Events Manager Adam Sheehan, and ADV Films' David Williams made the point that in the wake of Transformer's success, Hollywood was looking to scoop up as much giant robot IP as possible, and anime producers were looking to license every colorful machine in their vault. Reportedly, the channel was strong enough to scuttle attempts by North American anime distributors to license giant robot anime.
Well, it looks like the giant robot wars have heated up.
According to Anime News Network, World Events Productions (WEP) attempted to serve Toei Animation with a law suit concerning the live action adaptation of Voltron on Monday.
While Toei produced Hyakujuu Ou Golion (King of Beasts Golion), the anime localized as "lion" Voltron and Kikou Kantai Dairugger XV (Mechanized Fleet Dairugger XV), localized as "vehicle" Voltron, Koplar Communications licensed the rights to that original anime and produced the Volton localization.
The relationship between Kopar and Toei went to the courts in 1999 when Koplar's WEP production company created the CG Voltron: The Third Dimension, leading to new agreements between the companies in 2000 , and future head-aches trying to suss out who had the rights to what.
For more on the dispute between Kopar/WEP and Toei that ensued following Variety's report concerning the Voltron live action, check out Anime News Network's blow by blow here.
My speculation is that there will be more of these complex rights entanglements as other giant robots stomp towards the big screen, if for no other reason tha few had this sort of situation in mind when the agreements were drafted to bring classic mecha anime onto an international stage.
On a more agreeable note, via CollectionDX
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i like me some voltron
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There was a series of giant robots sold in the US as 'Shogun Warriors'. I think they'd be a nifty little franchise... As for Voltron - the only one that could potentially hold my interest would be the 'first' VOltron (per US distribution).
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I wasn't too thrilled the film was going to be changed so much that it was going to be so far-removed from the anime. Maybe, just maybe, if thing is settled, we'll get a version without the "Mad Max" setting.
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get around this by going for mecha shows that were never licensed. Giant Gorg and Combat Mecha Xabungle all the way. (I'm being half facetious)
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That will never happen, as that toyline was made up from dozens of different robot shows. It would be a licensing nightmare.
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Track down/netflix the anime called "New Getter Robo," it's update on one of the mecha series that comprised Shogun Warriors. The original was by Go Nagai, who I'd call the dirty uncle of anime/manga. Getter Robo was three jets that combined into three different robots, and it was the first combining robot show. New Getter Robo hews close to the Nagai original, so the three pilots are an antisocial street fighter, a calculating terrorist and a hulking monk. Basically, the only people willing to fight of a demonic invasion. They end up fighting gods and cracking planets... great over the top mecha stuff.
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suck it
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...of the best giant robot anime. If they want to fight, let them fight over the good stuff.
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"While Toei produced Hyakujuu Ou Golion (King of Beasts Golion), the anime localized as "lion" Voltron and Kikou Kantai Dairugger XV (Mechanized Fleet Dairugger XV), localized as "vehicle" Voltron, Koplar Communications licensed the rights to that original anime and produced the Volton localization."
Okay, I don't follow anime, but I read that sentence about thirty times before giving up. On behalf of all of us on the outside: "WHAAA-HUUUUUHHHH? -
That video is pretty remarkable. Quite a bit of effort put into that painting...wish the subject wasn't so goofy though.
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Nov 18, 2008 9:32:18 PM CST
Err.. .that gives new meaning to "And I'll form the Head"
by murdermostfowl
Now my childhood memories are tainted forever ;)
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When I was a kid, I used to have a 2-3 ft. tall toy of Mazinger. I thought it was pretty awesome until that awful show TRANZOR Z showed up on TV. I don't really remember what I did with him either. Kind of a shame considering he's probably worth a nice chunk of cash nowadays.
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this was incredible
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...PLEASE don't let us lose Voltron too...
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A movie about a movie studio's legal struggles to make a Voltron movie. I don't know what all this legal mumbo jumbo is even about, but I do know that courtroom scenes are exciting. Skip the Voltron movie, and make a movie about trying to sue for the rights to make a Voltron movie.
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I loved one of the latest Robot Chicken episodes, where the commander of a space station is heard to say "It's not even the real Voltron, it's that STUPID VEHICLE ONE!" after it takes about 5 minutes for all the various SUVs, stealth bombers and sports cars that comprise him to combine together. I cannot imagine a live-action treatment for voltron that wouldn't be the thunderbirds movie 2.0 with a nauseating dash of power rangers thrown in. I'm sure there will be a Shia Lebeouf clone in there somewhere screaming "NONoNoNoNO, This is NOT real, I am NOT driving a giant robot tabby through space!"
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Just have to interject once more:That youtube of the voltron painting was very touching. I tried to do a work like that in high school based off the Transformers Decepticons but I was politely told it had a "folk art" look to it, which I now realize to mean major suckitude.
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Lion-O FTW!
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I still have the Great Mazinga. My 3-yr-old plays with him, Raydeen, and Godzilla. He can beat the shit out of them and they can take it. Ahh, they don't make toys like that anymore.
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I had Mazinga and my brother had Raydeen. They certainly don't make them like that any more, with spring loaded missiles that can put out an eye or choke a kid. I always wanted that Godzilla. Had a stupid flame thing that jutted out of it's mouth, if I'm not mistaken?
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this will never happen. I can only still hope.
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That series kicked ass. Too bad no one saw it for what it was...
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So this project gets on development hell FOREVER. We should do as much as possible to avoid Hollywood to dumb down anime and shove it down average Joe's throat.
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This hard-to-find Anime series had character designs uncannily resembling another famous series....Macross. Dorvack featured 3 or more transforming vehicles...a tank(Bonaparte), a jeep(Tulcas) and a helicopter that transformed and fought for the human forces when faced with an Alien threat. These three vehicles were imported and released as Transformers in the late 80's(except for the tank).
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I had that, but shot his fist out one time and lost it forever.
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And he couldn't even pose it? It just looks like the toy sitting there. BOOOOORRR-IIIINNNNG.
Give me some ro-beast cutting with a blazing sword action any time. -
It would have been cooler as a 10 foot hook-art rug.
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Before I played the video, I thought it was a rug. While the painting is cool, a hand woven rug would have been ten times as awesome :)
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voltron, thundercats, a GOOD fuckin speedracer movie, gundam all that old tunami stuff. let kick it old school. they could be so sick.
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Fine. If I were them, I'd shoot the most expensive 2D animated movie ever made with major starts in each role. Have all the backgrounds be fully constructed minature sets. All foreground work animated. Michael Cera could voice Pidge. Hehe. Do it. Hooray for Voltron.
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I know I said 2D and then mentioned constructed sets... but you know what I mean. Instead of painting the backgrounds, have them be photographed sets. Foreground animated... yada yada..
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that movie will be the let down that eases your Voltron pain. What I'd like to know is how they were able to do Speed Racer (awesome movie) and not get stuck in the same situation as seen here.
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If it allows them to rethink the story and keeps them from producing that awful Justin Marks script, then thank you to the courts. One thing that can be said about these rights battles - despite them holding up a property for so long - is that they often allow them to be placed in the right hands. Heck, look at the Spidey mess and the film that finally came out of that.
Please, for all that is good and holy and just and fun, don't allow them to set Voltron on too-cliche post-apocalyptic Earth, made out of scrap parts. -
I thought that show (3 jets making 3 different robot configurations) was called Starvengers?? One of my favorites. I wasn't a huge fan of Voltron, I like my 100 foot tall mechanized warriors to be symmetrically hued, can't have one red damn foot and a green other foot... My favorite was Danguard Ace, who by the way was a member of the Marvel Comics Shogun Warriors.
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Transformers was made up of almost half-a-dozen toylines as well.
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