Robotech Returns!

Robotech Master · Jul 25, 2006

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/article.php?id=9232

posted on 2006-07-22 13:45:05
Funimation licenses Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, plans theatrical release

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By Jonathan Mays
Anime News Network

The "first true sequel" to 1985's Robotech series is finally coming to America. Funimation and Harmony Gold are preparing a theatrical run and DVD release for Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, an 88 minute film that directly follows the original series. Release dates are still pending and placement on TV is "being pursued," Harmony Gold Operations Coordinator Kevin McKeever says.

The Shadow Chronicles is developed by Tatsunoko Productions, which produced the 1985 series as well as Speed Racer and Battle of the Planets, and animated by DR Movie.

"Tatsunoko provided a great deal of consulting," Creative Director Tommy Yune says. "Their staff recommended that we use DR Movie for the talent they showed in animating Macross Plus."

The Shadow Chronicles tapped many original Robotech staff members, including writer Kenji Terada, whom Yune describes a "story consultant" for the new film.

Many of the 1985 Robotech voice actors are also returning to reprise their roles in The Shadow Chronicles, including Greg Snegoff as Scott Bernard, Tony Oliver as Rick Hunter, and Richard Epcar as Vince Grant. They will be joined by Hollywood actors Mark Hamill as Commander Taylor and Chase Masterson as android Janice.

Robotech began as an 85-episode anime series in 1985. Its popularity spawned many novelizations, comics, and games, as well as several failed sequel attempts.

"I've been involved with Robotech since 2001," Yune says. "There were a lot of earnest attempts at continuing the story. In the aftermath of [the ill received] Robotech 3000 [trailer], we realized what was really important was that the original Robotech was not a complete story. Everyone wanted to know what happened to Admiral Hunter.

"What was really important to us was listening to fans. We realized we had a great deal of responsibility, which gave us a great sense of humility."

Yune announced The Shadow Chronicles in 2002 as an unnamed sequel. Harmony Gold discussed the film at Anime Expo 2004 under the title Robotech: Shadow Force. "Originally we wanted to team up with a cable network," McKeever says. "But they said, 'We want something that's going to sell toys.' We wanted to make a film the right way, so we decided to self-finance it."

After a teaser in January 2005 and a trailer at Comic-Con the following July, The Shadow Chronicles premiered to a generous reception at the May 2006 Cannes Film Festival. "If you don't impress these guys in five minutes, they leave," McKeever says. "They stayed for the whole film and applauded at the end."

Is the sequel film a pilot for a full series? "It can function as a pilot," McKeever says. "There are several options. We could do a full television series, a direct to DVD series, a series of movies—everything is on the table."

In addition to high-definition video and 5.1 surround sound, The Shadow Chronicles boasts an original score performed by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. "It was largely because of Scott Glasgow," Yune says. "He had previously worked as an assistant on Spider-Man 2 and on the Grudge, and he was really driven to break out on his own on the soundtrack project."

Funimation and Harmony Gold finalized the licensing deal last night. On choosing Funimation, McKeever says, "We've had distributors interested for a while, and Funimation came in somewhat late in the game, but they really wanted to take Robotech to the next level. We'd been watching them for a couple of years when the movie was being produced. They've managed their properties very well."

As The Shadow Chronicles re-ignites the Robotech franchise, it also returns the spotlight to unreleased films and series from Robotech's origins, such as the 1984 film Macross: Do You Remember Love?

"We were lucky that Tatsunoko had worked out worldwide merchandise rights in 1984, where they had the rest of the world outside of Japan," Yune says, "Which is why we currently have Do You Remember Love merchandise released by Toynami. However, the movie itself still has to be worked out."
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I don't know if any here cares besides me, but I figured I'd post it anyway.

Click the link for a few pics.

Trailer 1

Trailer 2

Original Robotech Opening

Sean the Puritan · Jul 25, 2006

FUCK YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I heard about this thing three years ago and wondered when the hell it would see the light of day!

Robotech Master · Jul 25, 2006

A memory jog for those who might not be familiar with the story or who don't remember it well:

Robotech was a popular science fiction and anime franchise that was launched by an 85-episode animated television series about three successive extraterrestrial invasions of Earth. Within the context of the show, "Robotech" refers to Robotechnology, the advances in science and technology that came about from studying an alien starship that crashed on a South Pacific island. Robotechnology made possible the creation of giant robotic mecha, or fighting machines, many of which were capable of transforming into vehicles (especially fighter planes) for greater battlefield mobility.

This combination resulted in a storyline that spans three generations as mankind must fight three destructive Robotech Wars in succession over a powerful energy source called "Protoculture":

The First Robotech War (The Macross Saga) concerns humanity's battle against the Zentraedi, a race of giant warriors who are sent to earth to retrieve the flagship of the Robotech Master Zor. The ship contains the last known source of Protoculture in the universe.

The Second Robotech War (The Masters Saga), the creators of the Zentraedi, the Robotech Masters, attempt to take up where the Zentraedi left off and capture the protoculture held within the remains of the SDF-1.

The Third Robotech War (The New Generation), the alien Invid have been alerted to the existence of Protoculture on Earth by events that transpired at the end of the Second Robotech War. The planet is conquered, then enslaved and it is up to the Robotech Expeditionary Force to retake their ancestral homeland.
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Marso · Jul 25, 2006

I've never seen Robotech, having been fortunate enough to tumble to SDF Macross first, but I'll probably give this a look when it arrives.

Mr. Scruff · Jul 25, 2006

I used to adore Robotech- even in it's Macross bastardised form, thanks to US tv

I can't even remember how the Invid saga finished though And I used to have a soft spot for Rook

brudder1967 · Jul 25, 2006

I can't wait. I've been rewatching the series through Netflix, and it seems that I'm doing it just in time as well.

Eccentric · Jul 25, 2006

Funimation does a great job too, reference Full Metal Alchemist. This should definately be good stuff!

Darkening · Jul 25, 2006

Used to have a huge plane that turned in to some sort of robot, that could change in to three things..only rmemeber that as i swapped a starwars star destroyer playset for it. (1980's)

Sean the Puritan · Jul 25, 2006

^^^ Was it this one?

Darkening · Jul 25, 2006

Yeah something like that but i think it was grey

Darkening · Jul 25, 2006

Same as that but without the missiles on the wings

Demiurge · Jul 25, 2006

When they have new Starblazers/Space Battleship Yamato, let me know.

Robotech Master · Jul 25, 2006

Scruff said:

I used to adore Robotech- even in it's Macross bastardised form, thanks to US tv

I can't even remember how the Invid saga finished though And I used to have a soft spot for Rook
Click to expand...

Scott Bernard and his band of resistance fighters finally reach Reflex Point, the central hive of the Invid.

At rougly the same moment, the REF main fleet emerges from hyperspace and commences a full scale attack on the Invid.

Scott and his team join the Robotech ground forces and they begin an assault on the central hive. They find out that 'Marlene' is really Ariel, an Invid simulagent.

Both she and the team are shocked to learn the truth and she runs away. Scott flies off and battles Corg. Ariel gathers up the team and she leads them into the Invid Regis's sanctum.

They debate the occupation with the Regis, who claims that it is only fair that the Invid migrate to Earth since the Robotech Masters, and then the REF, eradicated her homeworld.

In orbit, the fleet commanders of the REF start to worry when they learn that the flagship, the SDF-3, along with Admiral Rick Hunter, has failed to emerge in Earthspace.

They inevitably decide that a scorched Earth policy is the only way to free Earth from the Invid... if they can't reclaim the planet, no one will.

They launch their Neutron missiles... the Regis senses this and realizes that the battle is lost, and the humans will not give up until everyone and everything is destroyed. Not wishing to see two more races annihiliated, the Regis gathers up her people and soars away from the Earth... annihilating the neutron missiles with their leave taking.

As Earth begins to recover once again from a devastating war, Scott Bernard and the REF fleet command begin a search for the still missing SDF-3...

James Tiberius Kirk · Jul 26, 2006

I care...great trailers. I will have the entire series on dvd.....

Robotech Master · Aug 2, 2006

Hardcore Robotech fans might also want to head to the local comic book shop and check out the DC Comics/Wildstorm series, ROBOTECH: PRELUDE TO THE SHADOW CHRONICLES

It is a five issue miniseries which finally wraps up the Robotech II: Sentinels comic book series which was abruptly cancelled in the mid 90s.

They managed to tap the Waltrip brothers as writers for this new series. This gives them the chance to finally wrap up their Sentinels storyline and it also provides a lead-in to the new series. It is somewhat different from the Sentinels ending depicted in the novelizations.... this is the new 'canonical' ending. Supposedly, it ties up some loose ends and sets up some plots and characters which will be relevant to the new series.

Robotech II: The Sentinels was supposed to have answered the question of what happened to the heroes of the First Robotech War (Rick, Lisa, Max, Miriya, Minmei, Breetai, Exedore, etc.), who were absent for the remainder of the original series. But only 3 or 4 episodes were ever animated. The complete story was told in the Robotech novels and is finally concluded in the comic books as well.

If you're curious about what happened during that storyline, here is a complete summary of those events. Had it saved from some fan site I found a while ago. Beware, it is somewhat long!

Spoiler
Toggle Spoiler

2022 AD: It has been 8 years since the destruction of the SDF-1, the SDF-2, and New Macross City; 10 years since the Zentraedi fleet turned 3/4ths of the Earth's surface into a cratered wasteland.

The Robotech Defense Force and the Zentraedi who have joined their cause have finally created a new battlefortress, the SDF-3! Its mission is to locate the homeworld of the Robotech Masters and try to negotiate for peace. Little do they realize that the Robotech Masters have already abandoned their homeworld of Tirol and are on their way to Earth right now.

Rick Hunter and Lisa Hayes are finally married, just prior to the launch of the Tirol Mission. The majority of the Robotech Defense Forces elect to ship out on the battlefortress with Admiral Hunter, leaving the planet's defenses in the hands of the xenophobic General Leonard and his Armies Of The Southern Cross.

The SDF-3 and its supporting vessels emerge in Tirolspace, only to find the planet under genocidal attack by the Invid Regent and his army of Inorganics. The Invid immediately engage these new arrivals and severely cripple the battlefortress. The Robotech defenders manage to dislodge the Invid from Tirol but are disheartened to learn that their entire mission has been a failure... not only can they not return home, they learn that the Robotech Masters have abandoned their capital and are already on the way to attack Earth.

All hope seems lost but another ship emerges from hyperspace, carrying with it an odd assortment of aliens from half a dozen different worlds... the Sentinels! Planets and races once dominated by the Robotech Masters have now been conquered by the Invid Regent. For eons, the Invid have raged an intergalactic war with the Masters and their Zentraedi warriors for control over the Protoculture and the Flowers of Life that were stolen from the Invid so long ago.

With the Zentraedi fleet destroyed, the Robotech Masters' empire has crumbled and the Invid Regent has picked up the pieces. Now, the planets held under Invid rule are seeking help from the Robotech Expeditionary Force. Their new mission: free the local planetary systems from the tyranny of the Invid Regent!

However, new schisms have begun to develop from within the REF itself. As members of the REF sign on to battle with the Sentinels, the traitorous General Edwards manages to consolidate power on Tirol and forms a secret alliance with the Invid Regent himself. His goal to is to take revenge on the Hunters for wounds inflicted years ago... the Regent's goal: domination of all known space. The Invid Regis, disgusted by the hellish conflict caused by the Regent, takes nearly half their race and leaves that sector of the galaxy to search for a new homeworld. She knows that tracking Zor's original battlefortress, the SDF-1, is of utmost importance.

The Sentinels campaign goes on for years. The staunch warriors manage to free planet after planet from the Invid, but not without great personal cost. Each planet is radically different from the next. And none of them are anything like Earth! But the heroes fight on. The REF personnel still anchored at Tirol begin the task of building a new fleet... a fleet which will one day return to Earth. Edwards is eventually revealed as a traitor but manages to escape to Optera, homeworld of the Invid.

But the Zentraedi are hot on his heels and the Sentinels are not far behind. After freeing the last planet held under Invid domination, the Sentinels head forth to Optera to finish the battle which has already raged for years.

Chaos erupts in the space above Optera and on the planet below. Invid factions battle each other, and then the Zentraedi, in a struggle for dominance. Breetai and the Regent, locked in mortal combat, destroy each other. Edwards and his loyal followers, the Ghost Squadron, take command of the remaining Invid. The Sentinels arrive and engage Edward's forces. Rick, Lisa, and the other Sentinels have a final showdown with Edwards. Edwards is killed after falling into Optera's hellish Genesis Pit, and his forces are toppled. The Sentinels have won, but it is a pyrrhic victory; Optera, like the other planets involved in this conflict, has been devastated. And another race is on the brink of extinction.

With the Invid defeated, the various races who joined together as the Sentinels return to their own homeworlds to begin the process of healing and rebuilding. The RDF forces, also weary of the long war, return to Tirol.

Upon their return to Tirol, they learn that some major things have been happening. With help from the recently freed Sentinels worlds, the REF has finally managed to repair the SDF-3, and has nearly completed work on a massive fleet which will return the Expeditionary Forces to Earth... and to a battle with the Robotech Masters themselves.

As the REF prepares its first attack waves, another surprise emerges in Tirolspace- Dana Sterling, hero of the 2nd Robotech War, her comrades, and a group of homeless clones who were abandoned by their Robotech Masters! They reunite with the REF and Dana recounts the story of what has happened on Earth since their decades long absence (Robotech Masters Saga).

A terrible catastrophe had occurred on Earth during the final moments of the war. The protoculture matrix hidden within the ruins of the SDF-1 was violently detonated, causing spores from the Flowers Of Life to spread over the entire planet's surface. The Flowers took root and this was immediately detected by the Invid Regis.

The Regis and her Invid children had reached Earth and occupied the entire planet not very long afterwards. She met little resistance, as the Robotech Masters and the Army of the Southern Cross had already completely annihilated each other. The thrice devastasted populations of Earth surrendered and quickly became slaves of the Invid, harvesters of the precious Invid Flower.

It was clear to the REF that although the Sentinels campaign was over, there was still one planet that needed freeing from the Invid... Earth itself!

2042 AD: Waves of REF ships have already been launched towards Earth. The Mars Division fleet was torn apart by the forces of the Regis. Scott Bernard, a Mars Division survivor, had begun a long, lonely trek across the shattered world, stubbornly clinging to his mission to reach Reflex Point.

Now the bulk of the REF fleet, and the SDF-3, were also ready to return home. An oath has been sworn to free Earth from the Invid scourge, even if it meant irradiating the planet itself! Earth was about to become the final battleground in a galactic conflict which has raged for ages and destroyed countless civilizations.

And still more surprises awaited the SDF-3 and her intrepid crew!
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Robotech Master · Aug 8, 2006

Ah.

The DVD for Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles will be released on November 21st!

I'll post a review as soon as I pick it up.

I'm assuming that the success of the DVD will determine whether they continue the series. Or maybe they've already begun working on a regular series?

Either way, the DVD is still probably worth owning... it is the first new Robotech since 1986 or thereabouts.

Robotech Master · Feb 11, 2007

new Robotech movie out on DVD!

I can't bump my old thread anymore so I'll just post a new one.

Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles came out on DVD this past week. It is at the top of amazon.com's anime bestseller list!

Everyone thought the war was over…but the darkest battle has only just begun.
Spectacular mecha action explodes onscreen in this long-awaited and eagerly-anticipated sequel to the blockbuster anime series that spawned a generation of fans!

The legendary Admiral Hunter is missing as a deadly new adversary threatens the vulnerable survivors of the Robotech wars. Vince Grant and Scott Bernard must race against time to unravel a treacherous mystery that could spell the end of the human race!

Features the voice talents of Mark Hamill (Star Wars) and Chase Masterson (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Extra features include "Birth of a Sequel" featurette with director Tommy Yune, composer Scott Glasgow and more.

Winner, Best Animated Sci-Fi Feature - 2006 International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival
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I am still waiting for my order to come in but I will have a review up as soon as I get it.

So far reviews have been mostly very positive. It's a good flick for both old school Robotech fans and people who are not very familiar with the series.

Actually, most of the negative reviews are from the hardcore Robotech fans annoyed at continuity changes that most people won't care about. There have also been complaints that all the female characters are too busty. I don't necessarily see this as a problem though.

If it has a successful reception it will lead to future projects, either DVD releases or an ongoing TV series.

Sean the Puritan · Feb 11, 2007

Re: new Robotech movie out on DVD!

I got it the day it came out.

It was... hmmmmm. I have mixed feelings.

Let's just say that I liked it enough that I hope they make more, but I didn't like it so much that I would be suicidal if this was the end of the line for Robotech.

Lethesoda · Feb 11, 2007

Re: new Robotech movie out on DVD!

Sounds like a good movie, I'll be looking for it.

Marso · Feb 11, 2007

Re: new Robotech movie out on DVD!

I put it in my netflix queue. I've always been a Macross vice a Robotech fan, but I'll give this a whirl since its new and Macross Zero, the last Macross outing, got very 'out there', to put it politely.

Sean the Puritan · Feb 11, 2007

Re: new Robotech movie out on DVD!

One thing about The Shadow Chronicles bothered me.

No Zentraedi to be found anywhere!

Diacanu · Feb 11, 2007

Re: new Robotech movie out on DVD!

Robotech Master said: ↑

I can't bump my old thread anymore...
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Unlocked.

Sean the Puritan · Feb 11, 2007

Bump.

Robotech Master · Feb 11, 2007

Re: new Robotech movie out on DVD!

Chaos Descending said: ↑

One thing about The Shadow Chronicles bothered me.

No Zentraedi to be found anywhere!
Click to expand...

Did Dana Sterling or her sister show up? They are half Zentraedi at least.

Most of the others were wiped out or fled.

Oh. Seems there was another trailer. Very nuBSGish.

Trailer 3

Marso · Feb 11, 2007

Re: new Robotech movie out on DVD!

Well, the trailer looked halfway decent.

So what's the three minute rundown on the story differences between RT and Macross? I know the former was the weird splicing together of three different Japanese series, but that's about it.

Robotech Master · Feb 11, 2007

Re: new Robotech movie out on DVD!

Marso said: ↑

Well, the trailer looked halfway decent.

So what's the three minute rundown on the story differences between RT and Macross? I know the former was the weird splicing together of three different Japanese series, but that's about it.
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The Japanese Super Dimensional Fortress Macross series and the first 1/3rd of Robotech share the same animation and a mostly similar story structure... giant aliens searching for a missing battlefortress arrive on Earth and wage war with humanity over the ship, leading to an intergalactic apocalypse.

But the characters, origins of the conflict, details, and the continuation of the story are very different.

Robotech continues on with the Masters Saga, New Generation, Sentinels, and Shadow Chronicles...

Macross continues on with Macross II, Macross Plus, and Macross 7.

Diacanu · Feb 11, 2007

Robotech Master agrees: thanks. any way to merge my two threads together?
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Done.

Sean the Puritan · Feb 11, 2007

Re: new Robotech movie out on DVD!

Robotech Master said: ↑

Chaos Descending said: ↑

One thing about The Shadow Chronicles bothered me.

No Zentraedi to be found anywhere!
Click to expand...

Did Dana Sterling or her sister show up? They are half Zentraedi at least.

Most of the others were wiped out or fled.

Oh. Seems there was another trailer. Very nuBSGish.

Trailer 3
Click to expand...

Well, ok, Dana Sterling's daughter is a main character, but I don't remember them making any references to her Zentraedi heritage.

By the way, weren't Breetai and Exedore still around at the end of the Macross saga? Seems to me that they were around in The Sentinels.

Robotech Master · Feb 11, 2007

Breetai died towards the end of The Sentinels series. He died in combat with the Invid Regent.

Don't know about Exedore. Maybe he is stuck on the SDF-3 with all the other Macross characters?

Sean the Puritan · Feb 11, 2007

Robotech Master said: ↑

Breetai died towards the end of The Sentinels series. He died in combat with the Invid Regent.

Don't know about Exedore. Maybe he is stuck on the SDF-3 with all the other Macross characters?
Click to expand...

Well, theoretically The Sentinels never happened (as such) from the point of view of The Shadow Chronicles.

Some stuff clearly happened differently and other things never happened at all.

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