Sony nabs Hawkeye director to helm a live-action Robotech movie

Hawkeye director Rhys Thomas will direct the live-action adaptation of Robotech for Sony Pictures. According to Deadline, the film is currently in development with a script by writing duo Art Marcum and Matt Holloway (Iron Man, Punisher: War Zone), with Mark Canton and Gianni Nunnari set to produce.

Based on the popular ’80s anime series, which itself was famously adapted by Harmony Gold producer Carl Macek from edited material from 1982’s The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, 1983’s Genesis Climber Mospeada, and 1984’s Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, Robotech is set in a distant future where humanity has developed giant transforming robots based on alien technology in order to fight off an extraterrestrial invasion.

This is far from the first time a live-action adaptation of Robotech has been attempted, with plans for a feature length film dating as far back as 2007 with the likes of Tobey Maguire, Drew Crevello, Jason Netter, and Harmony Gold chairman Frank Agraman attached to produce the film for Warner Bros. Sony would later secure the rights to Robotech in 2015, with James Wan originally attached to direct a feature-length film based on the series before dropping out to direct 2018’s Aquaman.

Robotech’s protracted journey to the silver screen can be partially attributed to a prolonged dispute between Harmony Gold U.S.A. Inc. and Tatsunoko Production regarding the licensing of the three anime series that form the basis of the original Robotech. Now that Harmony Gold’s license agreement with Tatsunoko has been officially extended, the chances of this latest live-action production actually coming to fruition have never been better.

No further details have yet been revealed regarding the film’s cast or projected release date.