Mania.com reports that novelist and UK TV writer Tom Rob Smith is the new writer on live action Robotech being developed by Tobey Maguire, Akiva Goldsman, Charles Rovenand Jason Netter. Other writers who had been attached to the Robotech script include Lawrence Kasdan and Alfred Gough & Miles Millar.
From the Mania report
Smith is best known for his 2008 breakout novel "Child 44", about a series of child murders in Russia circa 1950. The book won several awards and the film rights were quickly snapped up as a vehicle for Ridley Scott to direct. His follow-up book, "The Secret Speech" was released last month.
Although he's a relative newcomer to Hollywood, our sources tell us that Smith's previous writing impressed the 'Robotech' filmmakers. "He had a very clear vision for the material that seemed to fit the collective group's vision for the property," a source close to the project said.
Robotech is an English localized animated series constructed by concatenating Tatsunoko's sci-fi mecha series The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, and Genesis Climber Mospeada. The Macross series, featuring young pilot's Rick Hunter involvement in a war between humanity and the giant alien Zentraedi, is Robotech most popular chapter, but also the most legally contentious. Disputes between sponsor Big West, producer Tatsunoko Pro and logalizer Harmony Gold have prevented Macross entries such as the animated movie Do You Remember Love? from being released in North America.
AV: It's been reported that the staff who made the anime-- the studio Sunrise --is going to remain involved in the film. Do you know at this point if this will include significant involvement in the script?
PC: Yes, they're very much involved. I met with all of them in Tokyo in December - at a long meeting with Keanu in the room. I thought there was an immediate rapport between all of us, particularly Shinchiro Watanabe and Keanu. I asked questions, presented scenarios, and they were very specific about their vision for the series, and how it might convert to a live-action film. They've continued to be in touch since then; and last month I received a very detailed letter, which I've consulted regularly. I'm close to finishing an early draft, and I believe they'll be very happy with it. Not only does the script stay extremely true to the show -- I also know that Erwin and Fox are already discussing production designers that can reproduce the "look" of Cowboy Bebop as closely as possible. They'll be reading the script soon... so my fingers are crossed.
The 26 episode Sunrise tv series and BONES movie followed a hard luck cadre of bounty hunters in the waning days of wild west period of solar system wide colonization: haunted but slick ex-gangster Spike Spiegel, grizzled veteran ex-cop Jet Black, gambler/femme fatale Faye Valentine, incorrigible hacker Ed, and data dog Ein.
Combining artful homages to Western media, inventive direction from Shinichiro Watanabe and eclectic music from Yoko Kanno, Cowboy Bebop won over many fans when it was released on DVD by Bandai Entertainment and aired on Adult Swim.
