Bigwest, Studio Nue, and Harmony Gold USA jointly announced that they have reached an “expansive agreement,” permitting the worldwide release of the Macross franchise. This means that international audiences will finally have access to the series’ films and sequels. Due to legal disputes, they only appeared in Japan until now. Additionally, the agreement confirmed that Harmony Gold can release a Japanese live-action Robotech film, and that Bigwest cannot oppose its release. [Thanks, Den of Geek!]
The official press release went over what this would mean for the series outside of Japan. The biggest news is that more Macross media will have an opportunity to appear everywhere. However, it also means Harmony Gold’s Tatsunoko license will be respected and the companies will work together for wider releases.
The first Macross series Super Dimension Fortress Macross released in Japan in 1982 and came to the US under the Robotech title. While the series has since gotten sequels such as Macross Frontier and Macross Delta in Japan, the international release of these sequels had been blocked by Harmony Gold due to disputes concerning international distribution rights. After 20 years of disputes, fans will finally be able to access the full Macross catalogue via official release.
No new Macross localizations or releases were announced.
Published: Apr 9, 2021 05:15 am