"Robotech: Shadow Rising" is an upcoming feature film that was planned serve as a sequel to "Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles".
Plot[]
The film will pick up where "Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles" left off, dealing with Captain Vince Grant's search for Admiral Rick Hunter and the SDF-3.
Development[]
On 27 February, 2007 at the New York Comic Con, "Shadow Chronicles" director Tommy Yune said, "Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles has been doing good business at retail, and we are currently in production on the sequel." Later that same day, Yune mentioned that the sequel will be a feature movie. The title of the sequel has been revealed as "Robotech: Shadow Rising", and the film was expected to be released within two years of the time of the announcement, earliest.[1] However subsequent announcements in mid-2008 have made it clear that little-or-no progress has been made on the film, and it has been indefinitely postponed, pending developments with the live-action film.
It was later revealed that the two year estimate was a misunderstanding, by fans. While the two-year date was stated, by Yune, to be possible, it was never intended to be an actual release date. However, fans erroneously took it to be an actual release date. Subsequently, this caused a great deal of confusion within the Robotech fan base. Later, fans were further confused when another member of HG's staff stated the "animation was on hiatus." Many fans took that to mean the show had been postponed, when this was not the case. HG later corrected this misunderstandings by appearing on Space Station Liberty, a Talk Show Call In Live Pod Cast dedicated to Robotech. HG's staff explained the error with the "estimated release date". HG also explained that "hiatus" was an industry term meant to say that the animation was on hold while other parts of the production process caught up to it. In this case, scripting, story boarding, and other parts of the production process are continuing. However, as the animation has gotten ahead of the rest of production, the animators have nothing to animate until they get the next bit of the story from HG's staff writers. At this point in time, no firm release date has ever been given for "Robotech: The Shadow Rising," but an estimated release date was reported to be forthcoming.
At Anime Expo 2009, Kevin McKeever and Yune confirmed that "Robotech: Shadow Rising" has been put off indefinitely since Warner Bros. Pictures is now actively developing a big-budget Robotech live-action feature film. Akiva Goldsman ("Starsky & Hutch", "Mr. & Mrs. Smith", "I Am Legend"), and Jason Netter (Wanted) have been hired as producers and Tobey Maguire is also attached to the film. Several screenwriters, including Lawrence Kasdan, Alfred Gough, and Miles Millar, have also joined the project. Details about the plot of the movie are still very limited, but conceptually, it will likely be a "re-imagining", rather than a story that is a direct sequel or prequel, or one that is set at some point within Robotech's established chronology.
In mid-2012, Harmony Gold announced their plans to produce a new Robotech-sequel, entitled "Robotech: Love Live Alive". Afterward, when releasing it, they announced their plans to finally finish "Shadow". It is currently in production, to be released on an unknown date. [2] Love Live Alive had been given priority due to Robotech creator Carl Macek's involvement prior to his passing. [3]
In 2013, Harmony Gold's Robotech Convention Tour revealed a new logo and that it was next in the pipeline.
At San Diego Comic Con 2022, Kevin McKeever answered a question about upcoming animation, stating that any content would be on hold until the Funimation/Crunchyroll merger was complete. It was projected out 18 months.