After the resounding success of this year’s Transformers, it seems the animated-robot genre has been officially revived.  Voltron, a 1984 animated series about five space explorers, their beastly robot cars, and the eponymous, significantly larger robot they all become, is on its way to the big screen with Voltron: Defender of the Universe.  After years on the shelf, Transformers has suddenly given the project a bit more appeal, and according to producer Mark Gordon, it’s going to be big.

Screenwriter Justin Marks has tweaked the original storyline, setting the film on a post-apocalyptic Earth where five survivors of an alien invasion take control of some lion-shaped robots to stop the next attack.  Marks, a self-proclaimed fan of the series, has also penned another 80s-inspired script soon to hit the screen: Masters of the Universe in 2009.

As special effects inch ever closer to photorealism, who can help but be excited about another cherished childhood cartoon coming to life on the big screen?  Look for Voltron: Defender of the Universe in theaters next year.