I saw this news and kind of flipped out. Just read that veteran screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan has been hired to write Warner Brothers' big screen live-action adaptation of the classic anime series Robotech: Kasdan to write screenplay for big-screen "Robotech."
It seems that giant, transforming robots are hot right now, thanks to Transformers. As fans know, Robotech takes place at a time when Earth has developed giant robots from the technology on an alien spacecraft that crashed on a South Pacific isle. Mankind is forced to use the technology to fend off three successive waves of alien invasions.
Brought to the United States by Harmony Gold USA and Tatsunoko Prods, the show was actually re-edited and re-dialogued to combine three Japanese anime series to give the producers enough episodes to air as a daily syndicated series.
This was, hands down, my favorite cartoon series when I was growing up. I loved it. Between all the action, drama, romance and transforming robots, there was nothing else like it. Downright epic. Can it handle the live action feature film treatment? Kasdan is the screenwriter responsible for such classics as The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Capable hands, no doubt.
But even once past the script stage, there's no guarantee that they still won't screw it up. Can you see it? We're going to hear news that they've cast Zac Efron as Rick Hunter, Katherine McPhee as Lisa Hayes and Tila Tequila as Lynn Minmei. And then we'll find out it's being directed by Brett Ratner. My worst nightmare. To the powers that be, please don't screw this one up.