High off his success as the main director on Marvel’s Hawkeye series, Rhys Thomas has been tapped to direct the live-action feature adaptation of the cult ’80s anime franchise Robotech, Deadline reports.

The film is currently in development at Sony Pictures, based on a script by Marcum & Holloway with a rewrite by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka.

The original Robotech series is set in a future where humanity is under threat of a full-scale alien invasion. In hopes of surviving the armies’ onslaught, humans explore the wreckage of a fallen alien spacecraft for weapons: the technology they find enables them to develop giant mechas that can help defend Earth.

Robotech anime still

For this feature however, the initial synopsis (which is subject to change) reads: “A conquered earth is now home to invasive aliens who have pushed all remaining humans into prison camps. There, a young teenage boy will discover a hidden truth with the potential to free our world.” The film is in development.

If you’re thinking that this sounds an awful lot like the set-up for Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim universe, you’d be right – the director has cited Robotech as one of his inspirations.

Before Thomas boarded the project, the film was set to be helmed by It director Andrés Muschietti and penned by Wonder Woman co-writer Jason Fuchs. Both have since exited the project.

No word yet on any casting or release date but, with Sony having confirmed Thomas’ onboarding as director, expect further news on Robotech soon.

 

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