I find it difficult to believe any Robotech will be in any way related to any Robotech we're familiar with because Harmony Gold has lost all their source material licenses. Despite having 'in perpetuity' contracts, judges ruled them invalid and they lost them like, at the end of 2019.
I feel you! From what I’ve read, their licenses for Macross, Southern Cross, and MOSPEADA expire in 2022. Arbitration has that date in March 2021. So they need to get moving. LOL.
I’m not really sweating the loss of Robotech, as much as I enjoy it. Harmony Gold had plenty of time to do something with their IP, and they didn’t get the fire lit under their ass until about 2-3 years ago. All they’ve done over the past 30 years is piss people off, with only a small trickle of content here and there (and I actually liked the Shadow Chronicles comics and film). With this announcement at WonderCon, it looks like they are trying to throw as much at the wall as they can to get what they can get out of it. I’m surprised that Sony is interested though.
The looming loss of license doesn’t mean that they couldn’t re-negotiate a new licensing deal with Tatsunoko Productions over Macross, Southern Cross, and MOSPEADA. If they do, they definitely won’t be able to block distribution of Macross franchise in the US anymore. I won’t be crying over their loss of exclusive distribution that’s for sure. I really want an English-subbed high-def/re-mastered Blu-ray release of Do You Remember Love? film.
If post-2021 Robotech is completely different, then that’s not a loss in my book. Gotta force some creativity some where at some point. I wouldn’t be surprised if Tatsunoko Productions loosens up over Southern Cross and MOSPEADA while controlling Macross tightly, meaning that future Robotech would focus on non-Macross IP instead.