Live-action Voltron movie in the works with Watchmen screenwriter

The beloved animated sci-fi adventure series is coming to the big screen, in live action.

Deadline report that Universal are working on a movie of ‘Voltron,’ the popular cartoon show recently revived on Netflix, and ‘Watchmen’ screenwriter David Hayter is at work on the script.

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Reportedly things are a bit ‘up in the air’ around the project at present, because Universal inherited the in-development project in its recent acquisition of Dreamworks Animation, who had been working on the film beforehand. DWA were also responsible for recent Netflix series ‘Voltron: Legendary Defender.’

First broadcast in 1984 as an Americanised adaption of Japanese cartoon ‘Beast King GoLion,’ ‘Voltron’ is set in deep space in the far future, and centres on a team of young heroes who pilot five flying robot lions which combine to form the mighty super robot warrior Voltron.

Yes, it’s a similar central conceit to the Zords and Megazord of ‘Power Rangers,’ although there’s some debate as to whether or not either show ripped off the other; ‘Super Sentai,’ the original TV show which was eventually adapted into ‘Power Rangers,’ began in 1975, so technically it predates ‘Voltron.’ (Read more about that here.)

In any case, if next year’s ‘Power Rangers’ movie proves a success, this might galvanise Universal to push forward on ‘Voltron.’ Plans for a big screen take on the cartoon have been in motion for over a decade, initially inspired by the success of ‘Transformers.’

Beyond screenwriter Hayter (whose credits also include the original ‘X-Men’), the only other name attached to the ‘Voltron’ movie at present is producer Tom Engelman, with no word yet on a director or potential cast.

Picture Credit: Netflix/Dreamworks Animation