Is there a Robotech reboot on the horizon? Or could the long running animated series finally be brought to a close?
Ever since Robotech Love Live Alive was released in 2013, fans have been patientaly waiting for a new entry in the series. One seemed close to happening with the Robotech Academy Kickstarter in 2014 but that was cancelled before it could be finished. Now fans are wondering what the future of Robotech is in animated form. When we visited Harmony Gold, the owners of Robotech, they provided some updates.
Vice President of Marketing at Harmony Gold Kevin McKeever explained that whether the series continues in movies or a new series, they have a two-pronged approach.
“One, we want to continue the story with Shadow Rising," McKeever said. "Two, we want to look at the gaps that are in the series. That’s part of what Robotech Academy was about, to fill in those gaps.”
Billy Davis, Executive Vice President, added, “We have spent many many hours mapping out this universe so that it actually comes to an interesting and logical conclusion. To do that you have to tell multiple stories.”
A logical conclusion? Does that mean there is some ending to the Robotech animated universe in mind? “Perhaps. We have suggested conclusions. Plural,” said Davis. “We have had many meetings with many whiteboards with arrows pointing in many directions. And it’s not just internally, we’ve talked to many people who would be very interested in this franchise."
With an ending in mind, does that mean Robotech could be rebooted one day? It’s happened to countless other '80s cartoon properties, but is Robotech in animated form only going to have one universe? President of Animation at Harmony Gold, Tommy Yune is very practical about the whole thing.
“My opinion is that (a reboot) is inevitable," Yune told us. "It happens to everything. Remember how Star Trek fans flipped out when Star Trek was being rebooted. Robotech is one of those franchises where it’s grown and lasted so long that it’s going to be retold again and again. Just like Romeo and Juliet. This is when you discover how strong a franchise really is. Fans will want to hold onto their original continuity and that will be great. That’ll be there for them. But a whole new generation of fans will be able to enjoy Robotech in a new way.”
It’s also fair to say the movie won’t be in the continuity of the series. Davis laughs when we mentioned this, “Can you tell everyone that?”
If anything is holding up a new series of Robotech, it’s the deal with Sony Pictures on the Robotech movie. “Sony has a HUGE say over what’s going to get made or not.” Kevin McKeever stressed.
“(They) have a lot at stake with the movie so we have to be very respectful with that.” Billy Davis adds.
Shamus Kelley wonders if the Robotech sequel will involves cans of ProtoCola. Follow him on Twitter!