The classic ’80s animated series Voltron is coming to the big screen in an all-new live-action Hollywood adaptation, and here’s everything to know about the upcoming movie. The American cartoon series debuted in 1984 and used footage from the Japanese anime series Beast King Go-Lion (dubbed into English). The basic premise concerns a group of space explorers who pilot a gigantic robot known as Voltron, as they take on various threats throughout the galaxy. Taking advantage of the giant robot craze of the ’80s, Voltron quickly became a multimedia franchise across the globe.
Muscling into the territory of franchises like Transformers, the original Voltron series ran for 124 episodes, but things didn’t stop there. Voltron would return in several spinoff shows in the ’90s and 2000s before enjoying an 8-season run (between 2016 and 2018) in Voltron: Legendary Defender. Even though comic books, video games, and an abundance of toys helped to expand the lore, plans to bring the series to the big screen have stalled. However, a new attempt to make a live-action Voltron has begun, and with huge names attached to the cast, the movie will finally take the next steps.
The Live-Action Voltron Movie Latest News
New Cast Members Join The Animated Adaptation
Like Cavill, nothing is known about the roles the three will be playing, but it can be assumed that they will be part of team Voltron.
Joining the likes of Henry Cavill who has already signed on, the latest news confirms that the live-action Voltron movie has added three new cast members. With the live-action movie’s ensemble beginning to swell, it has now been announced that Emmy and Oscar nominee Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us), singer-songwriter Rita Ora (Fifty Shades of Grey), and John Kim (Cruel Intentions) have all been tapped to play major roles. Like Cavill, nothing is known about the roles the three will be playing, but it can be assumed that they will be part of team Voltron.
The Live-Action Voltron Movie Is Confirmed
The Latest Attempt Was Announced In 2022
Though plans for a live-action Voltron movie stretch back to the 2000s (around the time of the first Michael Bay Transformers film), real rumblings didn’t begin until 2016. However, it wouldn’t be until 2022 that the current iteration of the project would finally be announced, but this time, things are much more concrete. When the movie was first revealed in 2022, it was with the news that Red Notice director Rawson Marshall Thurber would oversee the project. Years later, Thurber is still attached, and he has even laid out his plans for the adaptation which he wrote with Ellen Shanman.
Read Thurber’s comments here:
I want to make sure that we stay true to the heart and the spirit of Voltron. In this film, we’re going to be introducing an entirely new generation of pilots. We’ve reimagined Voltron for the live-action world, but we’re going to stay true to…those iconic elements that you love, that I love. And I’m so excited to share it with you.
Besides the movie’s director, Voltron has also officially landed at Amazon MGM Studios after a hefty bidding war that included Universal and Netflix. Perhaps the most conclusive piece of evidence that the movie would indeed happen came in 2024 when it was revealed that DC Universe star Henry Cavill would play an as-yet-unnamed lead role in the live-action movie. Additional names have been added to the ensemble since then, and the 40-year-old franchise is finally making the jump to feature length. Production is slated to begin before the end of 2024, in Australia, but a full schedule remains elusive.
It has yet to be revealed if
Voltron
will be released theatrically or if it will be a streaming exclusive.
The Live-Action Voltron Movie Cast Details
Henry Cavill & Sterling K. Brown Lead A Star-Studded Cast
Even though the real excitement comes from the titular mega robot, the human cast of the live-action Voltron movie is nothing to sniff at. Announced in 2024, the first big name added to the ensemble was The Witcher star Henry Cavill, and though the former Superman’s role hasn’t been revealed yet, he’ll likely be one of the main cast members. Likewise, theater actor Daniel Quinn-Toye has also been tapped to play a role, but the former understudy to Tom Holland hasn’t had his character announced yet. However, it has been confirmed that Quinn-Toye will be playing a starring role.
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Voltron: Every Season, Ranked
Netflix’s Voltron: Legendary Defender only had eight seasons, and some of them are much better than others.
Those two aren’t alone in the rapidly growing ensemble, and Emmy/Oscar nominee Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us) has also been cast in an unnamed role. Continuing to expand her acting prowess, singer-songwriter Rita Ora will look to build upon previous roles in projects like Fifty Shades of Grey and Descendents: The Rise of Red. Joining those two, Aussie star John Kim will appear in the lead cast after making a splash in the Amazon Prime Video adaptation of ’90s cult classic Cruel Intentions. As will Brown and Ora, Kim’s role remains a mystery for now.
The known cast of the live-action Voltron movie includes:
|
Actor |
Voltron Role |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Henry Cavill |
Unknown |
 |
|
Daniel Quinn-Toye |
Unknown |
 |
|
Sterling K. Brown |
Unknown |
 |
|
Rita Ora |
Unknown |
 |
|
John Kim |
Unknown |
 |
|
Laura Gordon |
Unknown |
 |
|
Tim Griffin |
Unknown |
 |
|
Alba Baptista |
Unknown |
 |
|
Samson Kayo |
Unknown |
 |
|
Tharanya Tharan |
Unknown |
 |
The Live-Action Voltron Movie Story Details
A New Take On The Classic Animated Franchise
Almost nothing is known about the story of the upcoming Voltron movie, and though a script is written, few details have come to light. Obviously, since Voltron is an adaptation, there are dozens of exciting stories that could serve as the backdrop for the movie. However, comments from director Rawson Marshall Thurber suggest that the live-action movie will attempt to blaze its own trailer on the big screen. Thurber has mentioned that the movie will introduce a new generation of pilots, but it remains to be seen if this constitutes a full reboot of the franchise lore.
The specific use of the word generation seems to hint that the Voltron crew will be taking up the mantle from previous teams, meaning some of the lore could remain intact.
It would make sense for the live-action movie to hit the reset button and tell its own version of the events from the beginning, but that risks alienating long-term fans. On the other hand, leaning too heavily into the established lore might turn off newcomers, so the movie will need to strike a fine balance. The specific use of the word generation seems to hint that the Voltron crew will be taking up the mantle from previous teams, meaning some of the lore could remain intact. Whatever happens in the live-action Voltron movie, the explosive robot action will need to take center stage.
Voltron
Voltron is a multimedia franchise that began in 1984 with the animated Voltron TV series from creators Ted Koplar and Peter Keefe. The original series was an adaptation of the Japanese series Beast King Go-Lion, but since then, the franchise has grown to include multiple TV shows, video games, and comics.
- Created by
- Ted Koplar , Peter Keefe , Saburo Yatsude
- Cast
- Peter Cullen , Jeremy Shada , Bex Taylor-Klaus , Tyler Labine , Michael Bell , Lennie Weinrib