Sony Pictures has reportedly hired It director Andy Muschietti to develop the long-planned adaptation of the cult-favorite 1980s cartoon Robotech.

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Created by re-editing three different anime series -- Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross and Genesis Climber Mospeada -- Robotech originally aired in syndication in the United States in 1984. It’s a sci-fi epic in which the human race finds itself on the brink of annihilation and under attack by a fleet of gigantic alien warships capable of destroying Earth. Humanity’s only hope for survival lies within the secrets of Robotechnology, which allows humans to develop powerful transforming robotic systems and interstellar spacecraft.

Efforts to adapt Robotech as a live-action film date back at least to 2007, when Warner Bros. acquired the rights from Harmony Gold. The project passed through the hands of several writers and producers -- Lawrence Kasdan, and Alfred Gough and Miles Millar among them -- before landing at Sony in 2015, when James Wan was attached to direct.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Andy Muschietti will produce Robotech alongside Barbara Muschietti, Gianni Nunnari and Mark Canton. The website notes the project doesn't yet have a writer, but that should change soon, as Robotech is viewed by the studio has a priority.