So what’s been going on with the live-action versions of “Robotech” and “Cowboy Bebop”? Not a whole lot, as both movies seem to still be in the very early stages of development (i.e. scripts are still being written), but AICN finally has updates for both movies.
On “Robotech”, a new writer has come onboard in Tom Rob Smith, a UK-based writer. He will be contributing to a script that has recently gone through the hands of some notable names, including Lawrence Kasdan and and writing partners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (TV’s Smallville). “Robotech” is being envisioned as as starring vehicle for Tobey Maguire of “Spider-Man” fame. Which reminds me, with Maguire now committed to a fourth movie, it doesn’t look like “Robotech” is going to happen anytime soon, at least if Maguire wants to star as well as produce this thing.
The “Cowboy Bebop” movie, on the other hand, seems to actually be moving forward. Writer Peter Craig has already finished the script, and says this about the original “Cowboy Bebop” crew’s involvement in the live-action movie:
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 live-action “Cowboy Bebop” is set to star Keanu Reeves.
Below: “So what’s the deal? Is this movie getting made or what?”
I like long walks on the beach, puppies, and Kevin Costner post-apocalyptic movies. You can reach me at nix (at) scificool.com. Also, check out my other ridiculously ill-informed opinions and reviews over at 
snipe2 said : “Real anime fans are fuking retarded.”
Congrulations piece of shit. You just proved why anime fans don't give a shit about roboshit since roboturd fans are hateful and worthless fuckers. Thank God, Macross has WAY BETTER fans. Must be the lack of quality sequels that made roboturd fans angry with those who don't agree with them I guess …
I would be surprised to see an RT movie see the light of day, but Agrama will still cash those WB checks religiously until them abandon the project entirely. The anchor to that show was Macross and with HG only having rights to the TV animation (nothing else) and a trademark on the name “Macross” they can't use Macross as a basis for the movie, hence the “re-imagining”. If WB wants a winner they need to go to Japan and work with BigWest, the owners of the franchise. Then they'd have a property that's marketable and if treated with the same respect as the Bebop producers, they'll see a nice return on their investment.
I am glad to see Bebop getting the respect it deserves and by virtue of that respect I expect the film to do very well. The only thing it might be missing would be some Whedon splashes of humor to bring out the fun aspect the series had. For me Reeves is a good fit for Spike, neither speak much and well that's playing to Keanu's strengths. The hard casting is going to be for Faye and Ed (however, I suspect that Dakota Fanning could pull off ED very well, just a hunch)…
Actually Baron Von Cool, RT used “LESS” cells than Macross as some scenes were removed to tell the RT story.
However, if we are comparing the Bandai Visual remastered DVDs to the Animeigo remastered DVDs, there is a big difference in quality. The Bandai Visual RMs are superior to the AE remasters. However, to be fair, the AE remasters were done several years prior and the remastering techniques and software is far superior to what it used to be.
Hahaha… you “anime purists” are one-track minded fools that need to try opening your minds and grow up a bit. Robotech was a great adaptation and still stands up today in appreciation by folks that really don't obsess over “purity of source” when it comes to their entertainment.
Once you stop being an obsessive, immaturely abrasive Japanophile you might actually be able to find a girlfriend! (no, your hentai collection does not count)
Good luck and godspeed, my young friend..
rasputinreborn
Yeah, robocrap was a great adaption … for little retarded kids that is.
And guess what, those retarded kids had you, so I guess the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree…
Oh wait, don’t tell me, YOUR parents were too COOL to watch “cartoons” unlike their nerdy kid now, so they weren’t part of that retard crowd that watched robocrap. LOL.
I think the real issue here is the fact that there are two different kinds of anime fans. There are noobs and Old School fans. Old School fans are the ones who are old enough to have watched the shows when they originally aired. Before the term “Anime” even existed and anything you saw was either Americanized on tv or you got as a fan made VHS tape from people who traveled over to Japan and mailed back to their friends. I had a bunch of stuff that came to me in this manner.
Noob Anime fans are from the age of Anime proliferation. The internet age. These fans started watching Anime fairly recently, once it was in domestic stores and all over domestic tv. They probably downloaded gigs upon gigs of anime from torrent sites and fansub web groups. Not that being able to do this isn't awesome.
The main difference is really perspective. Its like when you watch a movie based on a book. If you never read the original book, you watch the movie as just a movie. But if you read the book first you watch the movie and scrutinize it for the little details that stuck with you from the book but didn't translate to the screen. Generally speaking, if you read the book first, you hate the movie but if you read the book second you love them both.
Old School fans love Robotech AND Macross because when we watched Robotech, we didn't have access to Macross by itself. Newer fans could choose which one to watch first and by nature would rather watch the original, unadulterated version.
I do have to admit though that the first and third “Sagas” of Robotech were far better than Southern Cross and that even as a kid the continuity didn't jive well with me. The connections between “Sagas” was always rather weak but at least Macross and Mospeada had nearly identical transformable fighters so they made sense together. Southern Cross (Super Dimentional… ) Just didn't make any sense at all with the others and should have been left out.
P.S.
Voltron ROCKS!!!
by anime fan
(quote)Youtube results for Macross : 9,970
Youtube resutts for Robotech : 4,150
Google results for Macross : 4,250,000
Google results for Robotech : 2,280,000(/quote)
did the results include southern cross and mospeda?
OKAY PEOPLE can we stop the arguments about how the remake version sucks and how the original is better, in my opinion any original is better then a remake…pause for emphasis… but seriously theirs no point in arguing about it. Both series are great in other peoples eyes and no matter what people say will get them to change their opinions about it. Yes Robotech is a remake of S.D.F Macross, no people its not only called Macross its called “Super Dimensional Fortress Macross,” if i remember correctly, and a lot of other things to and if i’m wrong sorry but thats how i remember the Japanese animeS (big S on purpose cause their are numerous remakes or different names for this ONE anime series) being called.
I also agree that we should stick to the original title of what the remake is from but if we do that than what, not every american knows the Japanese anime that Robotech came from so we would lose viewers for that. I’d also like to agree with Zandor117 about his statement of making them two different titles for both countries, but that would cause more problems cause than Hollywood would than have to go and get a copyright and other Formal Documents needed to use the title and make a movie. The reason, and i’m sure about this, (if i’m wrong well than ignore this statement) that they are calling it Robotech and using the American version of S.D.F Macross is because its a lot easier and cheaper to make because we don’t have to pay other countries to use their ideas to acquire said earlier documents and permission to create this movie.
Now i’d like to say this, if ya’ll really don’t like something someone says or thinks don’t try and tell said person their idea’s and opinions are wrong everyone is entitled to say what they want. That and that’s what people use to fuel another argument and than thats whats used to prove that a lot of Americans are stupid and personally i don’t like being called stupid by other countries that i would really like to visit some time in my life on this confusing and complicated world.
P.S. sorry last thing i thought of all this just now when i finished reading all ya’lls posts ya’ll got some good opinions.
This has to be the most ignorant argument I’ve ever seen. It’s basically the same series, the plot does split off a bit, but essentially it’s the same thing and the animation barring small things is the same. I loved Robotech as a kid and it gave a substantial boost to my interest in anime which a show like Speedracer was never going to do. Most anime produced past the mid-90’s has been crap anyway, so I won’t join the anime circle jerk, but if your into Hentai and all the low brow and regurgitated plot lines from recent series be my guest and continue to praise the virtues of “real” anime. Macross is better from a plot perspective no question, but that isn’t what reached mainstream audiences here saw as children and PS nobody would go see the movie if it was produced in Japanese language anyway (to really get the anime geeks frothing at the mouth).
You can’t market the kind of movie that Macross would be to the American general audience the same as you can Robotech. For the same reasons movies like “Let The Right One In” a foreign vampire film of exceedingly good quality isn’t going to compete with the Americanized version of the same film they are producing now(probably will turn out like Twilight meets Blade). The basic mentality of the American audience is diffrent from the Asian and European audiences. The only reason we have blockbusters that do well overseas is that they are generally movies that appeal to the lowest common denominator.
The difference between Robotech and Macross based on my research:
Robotech fans tend to have girlfriends. This is based mainly on the fact that they watched Robotech when they were kids and didn’t continue to watch gay Japanese cartoons as adults.
Seriously, get your panties out of your cracks and stop being purists (which is just another term for sad loser). You’ll like life better. I promise.
All you winers goin on about how bad Robotech WAS and the diference between Macross and Robotech, I’ve seen both and each has its pros and cons. Look what an amarican did with the live action film Transformers and the hundreds of millions that it made with the tech we had 3 years ago just imagine what another year or 2 will do for the Robotech movie and with people like Tobey at the helm I will be going to the theater with my family and then buying the disk and the game and when the sequiles come out in 3-6 years I will be starting the process over again and so will most of you ;-)