Let’s go, Voltron!
Earlier today, newspaper USA Today published a feature on Dreamworks’s upcoming Voltron: Legendary Defender. In addition to background on the project, the article sheds light on the first known plot and character details.
The new series will focus on five teenagers from Earth: Keith, Lance, Hunk, Pidge and Shiro. These five youths will be thrust into the midst of an intergalactic battle, becoming the last line of defense for the planet Arsus as they square off against the forces of the evil King Zarkon.
Co-executive producer Lauren Montgomery noted that Dreamworks is “trying to keep as much of that classic feel to it as we can, because ultimately we have huge amounts of nostalgia for (the original) show.”
That said, though, there will be changes to the original formula. Showrunner Joaquim Dos Santos noted that the new cast members will be given backstories and “a real purpose for being on this mission and getting involved with Voltron in the first place.” Montgomery added that Princess Allura will take a more realistic tack, commenting that “She doesn’t have to be the (greatest) fighter right off the bat. She’s still a princess from a peaceful kingdom. But she’s certainly not fainting at every little thing that overwhelms her.”
USA today reports that the series will be Game of Thrones-esque, adding in humor and upping the stakes from the original 1980s series. “Not everything is solved by Voltron alone,” notes Montgomery, “Sometimes they need to beat something just as the lions. Sometimes they just do it as themselves fighting as men.”
The first footage from the series will début tomorrow at WOnderCon’s Voltron Panel.
Voltron: Legendary Defender is a co-production between Netflix and Dreamworks. The project will reboot the classic anime adaptation, which originally hit the airwaves in 1984. Lauren Montgomery and Joaquim Dos Santos, who both previously worked on The Legend of Korra, are serving as showrunners on the project.
Source: USA Today
