Indeed, We Do Dig Giant Robots
“You dig giant robots!
I dig giant robots!”
– Megas XLR Theme Song.
So you may have heard that the ever-delayed Robotech film is moving forward. I of course have my skepticism, but I figure it’s harder to screw up than, say Akira, even though I think Hollywood could probably botch Hamtaro if given the chance.*
We’ve all heard of various anime adaptions and adaption of related properties like video games. We suffered through them in a few cases, and then there’s the mental scarring of the Chun Li film. So this news isn’t going to get us that excited, and probably we’re just going to nod, roll our eyes, and move on. It’s probably wise.
Except for one factor that caught my eye on Twitter.
Someone, I can’t remember whom sadly, commented that this was interesting news with the upcoming release of Pacific Rim. Pacific Rim of course, has giant robots.
If you haven’t heard of Pacific Rim, well then first of all I’m ashamed of you and I want you to perform 20 “Hail Josses” in repentance. Anyway, it’s a film where a bunch of people fight monsters in dual-pilot super robots, the voice of GLaDOS guest stars, Idris Elba is badass, and Guillermo del Toro directs. It’s really a TARDIS of Geekery, a film about a geek subject (giant robots), that’s even geekier inside. The only way to make it more of a Nerd Fest is to get Felicia Day somehow involved. Well, for that we have the sequel.
Yeah. There’s already plans for a sequel.
Now you can see why someone might see this coming down the road and think “I gotta get a piece of the giant robot thing.” In short, I think it’s more likely than not that the latest Robotech activity is because Pacific Rim is coming up. If anything, Pacific Rim will have a hard time failing, at least globally because, dude, giant robots.
Of course it makes sense. Aliens, spaceships, robots, rock stars. Really the basic concepts virtually sell themselves these days. Robotech done at least average has a shot.
We’ve also seen the success of the Transformers films. Oh, I think they were miserable for the most part, but they made cash and had giant robots. However, Transformers was in many ways it’s own “thing,” a specific cultural experience that people liked and were attached too. It’s hard to look at it and conclude there’s a large appetite for giant robot films in Hollywood because of the unique place of the Transformers property.
But it did show it was possible. It showed people would watch giant robots, though down deep I think a lot of it was hearing Peter Cullen say “Roll Out.” Hard to believe he’s also been the voice of Eeyore**
So we have Pacific Rim coming. Robotech is suddenly getting attention. As the article notes initially, it seems to be Hollywood is suddenly betting on giant robots.
So I’m wondering what’s next, especially if Pacific Rim does well. Because if Pacific Rim does well, and Robotech does well (or fires off interests), I can see Hollywood going mildly giant robot crazy.
That means adaptions.
Really, there’s huge amounts of Giant Robot properties lying around, specifically in Japanese Anime (which as I have covered many a time, is always fun to discuss when it comes to adaptions). Sure there’s stuff people always talk about like Robotech or Evangelion ****, but here’s the thing about Giant Robot properties; there’s many kinds.
People could get bored pretty easy if they saw another show that they thought was Transformers/Pacific Rim/Robotech with the serial numbers filed off. But Japan has properties for Giant Robots that push the genre.
Want Film Noir? Big O. Is Christian Bale busy, by the way? I think we have his next role. Also I want John Cleese as Norman. Because.
Comedy? Dai-Guard, which is what happens when “Better Off Ted” meets giant robots.
Supernatural? Hello Escaflowne.
If we get a big interest in giant robots, there’s enough effective properties lying around to not only capitalize on the interest, but to break out of any perceived repetition in the genre. Much as the Marvel superhero films was in a way superhero-as-separate genre (techno-thriller, war film, alien invasion, etc), Giant Robot properties in Japan have done multiple genres for years.
The interest is there. The ability to follow up on the interest is there. The ability to break from conventions is there.
I’d say we have a very good chance of seeing Giant Robot become it’s own thing in Hollywood. Probably not as big as Superheroes, but enough to keep us in Stompy Technology for awhile.
We may have finally found the anime-Hollywood bridge that gets discussed so often, as long as it’s 40 stories tall and steps on stuff.
I’m OK with this.
Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach. He blogs on careers at http://www.fantopro.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at http://www.stevensavage.com/.
* Unless Nicholas Cage is involved. Admit it, even if it was a stinker, the idea of “Nicholas Cage as a Hamster” has your attention.
** Really, look it up. ***
*** Also he was in Megas XLR. COINCIDENCE? I think . . . well, yes.
**** Not going to happen. I can’t see an Eva adaption. Even if I want Tom Hiddleston to play Hollywood Gendo.
