The Shadows Can Wait, Apparently.
Robotech.com forum member Xenophon dropped some news from this past weekend's Project A-Kon in Dallas, TX at the forums. Let's see what he had to say:
(See it at the forums here. Link via RobotechX.com; thanks to my pal Evan Cass for pointing it out to me.)
Yesterday Kevin Mckeever spoke at A-Kon in Dallas. I was there in the room and he stated that at this point, absolutely nothing has happened with the movie other than that WB and Tobey Macguire's production company have acquired the rights. All that means is that they they now have the option of making the movie. To quote him "There is no script. There is no director. There are no actor. There is no budget" etc. There is no movie whatsoever as of this time. That does not mean that some guy in WB somewhere is not doing something to make these things happen, but I'd guess you'd have to get some sources over at WB to find that out. I asked him what rights they'd gotten and he basically said everything. They can make a film set in any time period about any subject whatsoever. He said "They can make a film about the Dana Barbie dolls if they want" by way of example. So this film we're talking about could be just about anything. Furthermore, it sounds like it's pretty flexible as to how WB "interprets" the canon.
McKeever also said that the next animated film is "on hiatus" because WB doesn't want what HG is making to get in the way of the live-action. So the live-action has to come first before we see The Shadow Rising film. Suck. However, he did say production had started, but then he said how far it had gotten was classified. The movie definitely will happen (provided WB doesn't just keep stalling for 10 years or something).
(See it at the forums here. Link via RobotechX.com; thanks to my pal Evan Cass for pointing it out to me.)
Labels: delays, Movie, Shadow Rising
posted by Captain JLS at
13:31
8 Comments:
Well, that's Hollywood For ya.
By
aaron@digitalcole, at 03 June, 2008 15:05
I don’t know too much about the entertainment industry, but this seems like a curious gamble on the part of Harmony Gold, at least from the perspective of an outsider. They got a short term gain from the sale of the movie rights, but in doing so, it seems they opened themselves up to considerable risk in the midterm. Based on this post, they’ve lost tremendous creative control over their own property – and not just in terms of dictating the content of the movie. If they can’t even proceed with their own animation plans until WB decides to produce a live action movie, then they have really tied their own hands as far as their ability to produce new content. Presumably the payoff could be huge if the movie is actually made and if it is successful, but those are two big ifs.
Does this strategy make sense? I admit I know next to nothing of the machinations of Hollywood, so perhaps this is a perfectly normal arrangement. Sadly, I could see how this might be a rational choice if Harmony Gold was either desperate for cash or had no faith in their own ability to market their product.
By
Niff, at 03 June, 2008 18:05
On my show tonight, Kevin just clarified matters. What he said was referring to the animation process as being "on hiatus," using the term in the industry sense of "not active right now because it's waiting on something else" as opposed to the consumer sense of "indefinitely cancelled," but that Shadow Rising itself was still under development at HG. The answer was misinterpreted as referring to the entire show's production process.
By
Chris Meadows, at 05 June, 2008 21:29
Realistically then, we're looking at at least 3 years before any new shadow chronicles animation comes out.(so 2011)unless anyone thinks that the live-action movie would hit theatres before this date??? I doubt it. MAYBE 2010, and that's being highly optimistic.... So the next chapter in the shadow chronicles movie could realistically be finished in the next year and have to be left on the shelf indefinately until the live action movie comes out....
That's the way it goes i suppose. I'm not sure that waiting until they saw the success of the first animated shadow chronicles movie before they started work on the second movie was really the best business plan to go with, not if they want any kind of forward momentum with sustaining interest in the animated series again... but i suppose that was simply due to a lack of having the proper finances in place to even consider doing two movies in overlapping time frames.
Regardless, i really hope something good comes out of the live action movie deal. The technology is certainly there, as is the story (although the excessive melodrama that works because its animated will be laughed at if it gets a literal translation to live-action, but i'm sure there are plenty of people aware of that already).
Hell, if it all goes wrong, at least i've got my 'battlestar galactica' to fill my space opera fix in the meantime. If the movie even half approaches the coolness that 'galactica' has, it should be worth the wait. We'll see...
By
Richard, at 06 June, 2008 10:12
This comment has been removed by the author.
By
Anonymous, at 07 June, 2008 12:21
echobaseAlpha
Actually you are way off base in your comments about,
"So the next chapter in the shadow chronicles movie could realistically be finished in the next year and have to be left on the shelf indefinately until the live action movie comes out...."
I addressed these thoughts and concerns in the SSL pod cast. I kind of figured comments like that one would pop up so I headed them off. Please, go listen to the show and get the facts before piping off with erroneous statements. It makes all us RT fans look bad.
By
Anonymous, at 07 June, 2008 12:24
Oh thx rhade, next time i'll listen to this SSL pod cast that you talk about before i post my two cents on an unrelated website. What, are you kidding me???
According to you I may be 'way off base' in my above comments, but these are just my personal thoughts on the matter, not facts mate, and for you to think that i should have listened to the SSL podcast before posting any comment that was OBVIOUSLY covered by you in some podcast is laughable, and stupid. I didn't realize that one needed to listen to space station liberty as a prerequisite to posting comments here. Oh right, I DON'T.
God, it's nerdy criticisms like yours that drive any would-be fans away from participating with the robotech community, and keep it so bloody insular. Unbelievable.
By
Richard, at 08 June, 2008 20:16
echobaseAlpha
Ok, let me correct you on a few things. I specifically asked Tommy and Kevin about the very items your are commenting on. I got the FACTS before ranting. Your opinion has already been proven to be the baseless ramblings of an ill-informed and completely negative person. Then you say I am the one why people would not be fans??? Why would anyone want to be a fan of something when that somethings own FANS make baseless, pointless, and derogatory comments about it?? Your whole attempt to insult me has only proven how illogical and pointlessly negative you are.
As to suggestion you listen to the pod cast, it was so that you might make an informed decision before posting ramblings that only make you look foolish. If, however, you prefer to look foolish, well you have a good start going there.
By
Anonymous, at 08 June, 2008 23:44
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