Mega thrusters are go at Universal Pictures. The Voltron Force will defend the universe in a new live-action film with a script from screenwriter and Metal Gear Solid voice actor David Hayter.
After several years of development hell and a fierce bidding war in 2011, Universal obtained the cinematic rights to the franchise in a deal with DreamWorks Animation, which produced the popular Voltron Legendary Defender reboot series on Netflix this year.
The live-action film will be based on the 1984 anime Voltron: Defender of the Universe, titled GoLion in its native Japan. In the series, five pilots control five robotic lions that combine into Voltron, a large humanoid robot and the greatest weapon against evil in the galaxy.
One of the first anime to hit mainstream popularity in the United States, Voltron became an integral part of ‘80s nostalgia and has been rebooted several times. The most recent version, Voltron Legendary Defender, will air its second on Netflix on January 20, 2017.
David Hayter, best-known as the voice actor for Solid Snake in Konami’s Metal Gear Solid video game franchise, is submitting a draft of the screenplay for the as yet untitled Voltron film to Universal. No directors or actors have been officially attached.
Voltron Legendary Defender Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.