Voltron Force
Encyclopedia
Voltron Force is a new version of the 1980s animated series, Voltron
, that was originally scheduled for a release in autumn of 2010. Eventually, the show premiered on June 16, 2011, exclusively on the Nicktoons television network to coincide with the premiere of the second season of Iron Man: Armored Adventures
. The series currently airs new episodes on Thursdays at 8:30PM EST.
):
On April 4, 2010, it was announced that the show's title had been changed from "Voltron Panthera Force" to "Voltron Force".
On June 7, 2010, Variety announced WEP Productions, Classic Media and Kickstart Entertainment's plans to air a 26 episode season of Voltron Force in 2011 to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the original series as well as Mattel
's plans to release a toyline to tie-in with the 25th anniversary of the original series and the launch of the new series.
In March 2011, it was announced that Emmy-nominated composer Hal Beckett and his company, Beckett Music, would score the show.
WEP and videogame publisher THQ
have announced partnership to produce video games based on the classic Voltron series and Voltron Force in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
Voltron
Voltron is the titular super robot of an anime series that features a team of young pilots, known as the Voltron Force. The team’s individual vehicles join together to form the giant super robot, with which they defend the galaxy from evil...
, that was originally scheduled for a release in autumn of 2010. Eventually, the show premiered on June 16, 2011, exclusively on the Nicktoons television network to coincide with the premiere of the second season of Iron Man: Armored Adventures
Iron Man: Armored Adventures
Iron Man: Armored Adventures is a 3D CGI cartoon series based on the Marvel Comics superhero Iron Man. It debuted in the USA on the Nicktoons on April 24, 2009, and has already begun airing on Canadian network Teletoon. The series is story edited by showrunner Christopher Yost, who also worked on...
. The series currently airs new episodes on Thursdays at 8:30PM EST.
Premise
The exact relationship of Voltron Force to the original 1980s Voltron series is unspecified, but the characters are five to seven years older than those in the original series, and the general concept of the original series is mostly accepted as backstory. Continuing the backstory, Lotor was killed by the Voltron Force as the result of Voltron destroying Doom Castle. Voltron is celebrated on Earth for the destruction of King Zarkon along with his forces led by Lotor. However, due to the actions of Sky Marshall Wade, a corrupt official in the Galaxy Alliance, the Robot Lions go haywire and virtually destroy a city during the festivities. The Lions are immediately ostracized, stripped of their duty as Defenders of the Universe and separated with the Black Lion locked away in Galaxy Alliance HQ while the other lions are sealed on the planet Arus, the home of Princess Allura. Though officially disbanded, the Voltron Force secretly act to get back the Black Lion while gathering three Alliance cadets (Daniel, Vince, and Allura's niece Larmina) to train them to become future Force members and Lion pilots. With the cadets by their side, the reunited Voltron Force are needed once more not only to combat a resurrected Lotor and a new form of energy from another old enemy of theirs, but also to expose Wade's criminal actions.Opening
The series intro is narrated by Daniel (Vincent TongVincent Tong
Vincent Tong is a Canadian actor and voice actor. He is the voice of Gene Khan/The Mandarin in Iron Man: Armored Adventures. Other notable voice characters include Touta Matsuda in Death Note, Toro in Sushi Pack, Henry in Kid vs...
):
Cast
- Mark HildrethMark Hildreth (actor)Mark Hildreth is a Canadian actor and musician, based in the U.S. He has appeared in many movie and television roles. A graduate of The National Theater School of Canada, Mark Hildreth's theater credits include Hamlet , Bertram in All's well that Ends well , Richard of Gloucester in Richard III and...
as King Lotor - Andrew FrancisAndrew FrancisAndrew Francis is an actor and voice artist from Vancouver, British Columbia. He has appeared in many television shows including Poltergeist, Dark Angel, Twilight Zone, The L Word, Smallville and Kyle XY...
as Lance - Ty OlssonTy OlssonTyler "Ty" Olsson is a Canadian actor. He's best known for being the voice of the dragon Ord on Dragon Tales and for portraying real life 9/11 victim Mark Bingham in the A&E television movie Flight 93.-Life and career:...
as Hunk - Gary ChalkGary Chalk (actor)Gary Chalk is an English-born Canadian actor, tri-national US-Canadian-UK citizen and voice artist. He has lend hit voice in over 30 animated television series and has been in films such as The Fly II and Freddy vs. Jason....
as Sky Marshall Wade, Manset - Shannon Chan-KentShannon Chan-KentShannon Chan-Kent is a Canadian voice actor, singer and actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as the singing voice of Pinkie Pie in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic...
as Larmina - Ashleigh BallAshleigh BallAshleigh Ball is a Canadian voice actress and the lead singer and flautist in the Vancouver-based jazz/pop band Hey Ocean!.-Filmography:-External links:...
as Allura - Samuel VincentSamuel VincentSamuel Vincent is a Canadian voice actor who works with the Ocean Productions based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was born in North Vancouver, British Columbia.-Biography:...
as Pidge, Sypat, Dudley - Tabitha St. GermainTabitha St. GermainTabitha St. Germain is a Canadian stage actress. She has made the transition from stage work to voice work, and has since become one of the core female voice actresses working with Ocean Productions in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.- Anime :* .hack//Roots - Asta, Nazo Grunty* Black Lagoon -...
as Kala - Giles Panton as Keith
- Doron Bell Jr.Doron Bell Jr.Doron Bell Jr. is a Canadian actor. He is known primarily for voice work, perhaps best known for his role as Odie in the fantasy television series Class of the Titans.-Selected filmography:...
as Vince - Vincent TongVincent TongVincent Tong is a Canadian actor and voice actor. He is the voice of Gene Khan/The Mandarin in Iron Man: Armored Adventures. Other notable voice characters include Touta Matsuda in Death Note, Toro in Sushi Pack, Henry in Kid vs...
as Daniel - Ron HalderRon Halder- Biography :He has performed extensively in theatres across Canada from Victoria, BC to St. John's, Newfoundland. He has played key roles as Malcolm Lowry in the Vancouver Playhouse production of Goodnight Disgrace, James Tyrone Jr. in the Neptune Theatre production of Moon for the Misbegotten and...
as Maahox, Coran - Gabe KhouthGabe KhouthGabe Khouth is a Canadian voice actor who works for Ocean Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.-Biography:Gabe Khouth is the younger brother of voice actor Samuel Vincent. He has played several roles in anime, most notably Nicol Amalfi in Gundam SEED. Khouth also acted in the...
as Chip (Pidge's brother)
Development
On March 11, 2010, at the Nickelodeon Upfront Presentation, a new Voltron series entitled "Voltron Panthera Force" was announced and set for premiere in the fall on Nicktoons with an announced premise that "The series follows the exploits of a group of five young cadets brought together under trying circumstances to form a newly appointed Voltron Lion Squad dubbed the 'Panthera Force.' Voltron Panthera Force is a World Wide Events production in conjunction with Kick Start Production."On April 4, 2010, it was announced that the show's title had been changed from "Voltron Panthera Force" to "Voltron Force".
On June 7, 2010, Variety announced WEP Productions, Classic Media and Kickstart Entertainment's plans to air a 26 episode season of Voltron Force in 2011 to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the original series as well as Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
's plans to release a toyline to tie-in with the 25th anniversary of the original series and the launch of the new series.
In March 2011, it was announced that Emmy-nominated composer Hal Beckett and his company, Beckett Music, would score the show.
Marketing
The Voltron Force logo and storyboards have been revealed on the official Facebook profile for the show, which is run by World Events Productions.WEP and videogame publisher THQ
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
have announced partnership to produce video games based on the classic Voltron series and Voltron Force in 2011 and 2012 respectively.