When it comes to classic ’80s pop culture properties being turned into movies, there are more than a few that have made the jump. Most recently, Masters of the Universe returned to the big screen to massive fan praise, and the rumors of the Transformers returning have also been confirmed. But now, it’s Voltron‘s turn.
Amazon MGM Studios announced a new live-action Voltron movie coming to Prime Video. While Voltron has had a loyal TV fanbase for decades, it’s surprising there hasn’t been a single Hollywood film adaptation. But now is the perfect time for one of the greatest sci-fi franchises of all time to return, and it will likely make waves for longtime fans.
Voltron Is Finally Coming to the Big Screen
Franchises featuring giant fighting robots are almost always an easy win for audiences. Power Rangers alone thrived for decades on the idea that superpowered, color-coordinated heroes could fight evil in massive, mech-like battlebots. Voltron took the same idea and added an even richer lore and spacefaring action, making it one of the all-time sci-fi greats.
With Amazon MGM Studios at the helm of the new movie, Voltron will star Henry Cavill as King Alfor and Sterling K. Brown as Zarkon. The film is set to be directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber and has promised to maintain everything that made the original Voltron animated series great while introducing the franchise to a new era of fans.
There’s so much to get excited for with the Voltron movie, even though updates have been scarce to this point. Given the source material, fans can expect an epic special effects showcase in the new film, spotlighting the series’ iconic mechs on a scale never before seen. Plus, Masters of the Universe and Transformers have proved that movies based on beloved 1980s shows are more popular than ever.
As of now, aside from the cast and director, the only thing known about the Voltron movie is that it will be released in 2027. Granted, Cavill has been spending a lot of time working on his new Highlander reboot, so it’s unclear if that may push things back. It has also been revealed that the sci-fi blockbuster will release exclusively on streaming, forgoing theaters and hitting Amazon Prime Video from day one.
While fans may be nervous about the big shoes the film has to fill, the franchise’s rich lore and the huge void of mech-action movies in Hollywood right now make 2027 the perfect time for Voltron to combine and save the galaxy. Should it succeed, it could also open the floodgates to a franchise rich with exciting lore.
Voltron Has Had an Amazing Legacy on TV
Voltron premiered in 1984 as an adaptation of a Japanese series titled Beast King Go-Lion. The animated show ran for 124 episodes and sparked a pop culture phenomenon that continues to go strong today.
Voltron’s story tells of a towering human-piloted robot used in extreme circumstances to protect the galaxy and maintain peace. That is, until the villainous King Zarkon and Witch Haggar created Robeasts to terrorize innocents. Thanks to this terrifying threat, the series centered on six pilots, each of whom commands a massive lion robot, forced to come together to combine and form Voltron.
Since the original series, there have been at least two other reboots, the most popular of which is the Netflix series, Voltron: Legendary Defender. Even now, the Netflix series is still hailed as one of the best Voltron series and one of the best modern animated sci-fi shows.
Unfortunately, since Voltron: Legendary Defender, there hasn’t been another adaptation to keep the brand’s spirit alive, hence why the upcoming film is so important. Even still, the franchise’s passionate following without new media proves how strong it is to begin with.
There’s no real reason to watch any past versions of the franchise prior to the film, but the fact that it has remained so popular is a testament to why it should be checked out, all the same. Voltron is an ’80s staple, having been passed down for decades, and with a new film on the way, it’s the perfect chance to reignite the spark that made the series so great.
Voltron Is Exactly What the Sci-Fi Genre Needs Right Now
Sci-fi isn’t in a bad place by any means, with franchises like Star Wars and Dune thriving in their own ways. But Voltron offers something that’s severely lacking in Hollywood right now. Legendary’s MonsterVerse has kept people invested in kaiju content, but since Pacific Rim, a big-budget mech movie has been missing.
The closest thing to Voltron from over the last few years was 2017’s Power Rangers film. However, that movie failed to launch into a full-blown cinematic franchise as some had hoped. Now, it’s up to upcoming movies like Gundam and Voltron to change things, and Voltron has a fighting chance. The plot is simple, the message is clear, and in an era where simple sci-fi is more important than ever, it can make a world of difference.
Beyond that, Voltron is more than giant robots fighting other robots. It remains one of the best sci-fi franchises of all time. It sends a message of hope and heroism that was so prominent in ’80s cartoons and still resonates today. Voltron showed what happens when words can’t get the job done, and it’s time to fight. The Voltron Force is one of the most powerful teams in the galaxy, and with their lion bots, anything is possible.
It’s hard to get too excited about a movie with so little information, but Voltron is one of those rare projects where the hype alone is worth it. There’s no trailer, and the release date seems to be set in stone for now, but anything can happen. The one thing that’s certain, however, is that when Voltron does arrive, it will revive one of the best sci-fi franchises out there. Should it do well, it could spawn even more movies and prove that the legendary defender is back and better than ever.