Macross Plus Soars to US Theatrical Release

Macross Plus is finally coming to theaters in the United States.

The classic 1995 anime, which was the directorial debut of Shinichiro Watanabe, who would later go on to direct shows such as Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, will make its theatrical premiere in the United States on Dec. 14. The movie will be released through Fathom Events and will be screened for one-day only. Tickets for the event will be available for preorder on Nov. 12.

The movie is an edited version of a 4-volume OVA (original video animation,) that was originally released in Japan in 1994. The first canon sequel to the original Super Dimension Fortress Macross anime, Macross Plus takes place 30 years after the conclusion of the original series, where humanity and their new Zentradi allies have now established new colony worlds throughout the galaxy. The story focuses on Isamu Dyson, a cocky ace in UN Spacy military who gets selected as the test pilot for one of the latest Valkyrie transforming mechs,  the YF-19. The YF-19 project is competing against the experimental YF-21, an even more advanced transforming fighter that is controlled by reading the pilot's brainwaves, which is piloted by Dyson's former friend turned rival, Guld Goa Bowman. Their rivalry gets even messier when both are reintroduced to Myung Fang Lone, a childhood friend that both of them once harbored feelings for, who is now serving as the producer for the famous virtual pop star, Sharon Apple.

In addition to serving as the first anime project directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, this also marked the director's first work with composer Yoko Kanno, who would later compose the iconic, jazzy and blues-infused soundtrack for Cowboy Bebop. Kanno would also return to the Macross series to compose the equally acclaimed soundtrack to 2008's Macross Frontier.

The release of the movie will mark the return of the Macross franchise to North America. The movie was originally release on VHS and DVD in North America by Manga Entertainment, though this release is long out of print. A long-standing legal battle between the Japanese rights holders to the franchise and Harmony Gold, the company that created the Robotech series, previously prevented the release of Macross material outside of Japan for decades. That legal fight was finally settled earlier this year, with all of the involved companies now agreeing to collaborate on the release of Macross and Robotech material worldwide.

There's no word yet on a American release for the rest on when the other Macross sequel series, such as 1994's Macross 7, will be released in the region. The most recent Macross movie, Macross Delta: ZETTAI LIVE!!!!!! opened in Japan on Oct. 8. The movie is being screened alongside a new Macross Frontier short, The Labyrinth of Time, which also includes new music from Kanno.

Source: Twitter