When I was a kid, Voltron was the toy I wanted more than anything else and could never have. Here's my dirty little secret… unlike most people in this biz my father wasn't some trade show comic book collector who made his living selling action figures of Princess Leia. Nor was he a wealthy industrialist who showered me with expensive toys and collectibles, only later to send me off to an all expenses vacation known as "college" where I'd squander his money on beer and bong accessories. No, my Dad worked at K-Mart changing tires… worked hard too. I respect him for it; the man was a lot harder working guy than I am. At the time though, I didn't understand why I couldn't fill my closet with Transformers and most of all, each and every Voltron lion. Heck, I'd have settled for just one. Instead, I made my Mom take me over to my cousin's, where I'd gaze longingly at his kickass Star Wars figures and complete, assembled Voltron robot. Damn that thing was cool. It was like the Holy Grail of toys for me, now that I have the cash I really should run out and buy one. For me, Voltron represents just about everything I missed out on in my childhood. Oh yeah, and there was a Voltron cartoon too… it sucked (but I watched since that at least, was free).
Now, with a Transformers movie supposedly moving towards production and subsequently theaters (if they can calm down Don Murphy that is), someone has decided it's time to resurrect another 80's giant robot toy franchise, in this case the greatness of Voltron. According to The Hollywood Reporter, producers Mark Gordon, Mark Costa, and Ford Oleman have teamed up with music producer Pharrell Williams have teamed up to make what I assume will be a live action version of the TV show. There is of course one catch here… it's already been done and it was called Power Rangers.
Let's wait and see if the film really happens. They're in the extreme early stages now and with even Transformers struggling to get off the ground I'll be surprised if the movie ever actually happens. Or watch them settle for bad CGI or something. We'll keep an eye on this one. Meanwhile, I need to hit Ebay and look for some lions.
