Updates on Live-Action Robotech and Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop (Live-Action) Movie, Robotech (Live-Action) Movie, Sci-Fi Movie News — By Nix on June 24, 2009
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?”
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24 Comments
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.
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!!!