'Voltron' news: Live-action movie confirmed by Universal

A promotional image for "Voltron: Legendary Defender"Facebook/VoltronOfficial

"Voltron" has seen a resurgence in popularity lately, particularly with the new animated series that launched on Netflix earlier this year. It has now been confirmed that Universal acquired the film rights and are now developing a live-action movie adaptation, in which David Hayter himself is working on the script.

According to a report from Deadline, the studios have been attempting to get a film off the ground for some time. DreamWorks Animation had reportedly been trying to get a film done, but for reasons not stated, this project did not move forward. Universal then inherited the rights and are now working to get a film out soon.

Fans of the series will recall that DreamWorks is still active with the franchise as they are working with Netflix and Universal with the animated series on Netflix. Season 1 launched last June and season 2 is scheduled to premiere on Jan. 20 2017.

The live-action film is going to be written by David Hayter, who also worked on the script for "Watchmen" and the first "X-Men" film. He also directed the 2014 film "Wolves," and he is set to direct episodes of the mini-series "World War III."

However, Hayter is primarily known for voicing the characters Solid Snake and Big Boss in the "Metal Gear Solid" video games. He started voicing Solid Snake in the Playstation One game "Metal Gear Solid" and voiced Big Boss for the first time in the Playstation 2 title "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater."

The report does not reveal whether the film is going to be another origin story, meaning it will be separate from the Netflix animated series, or if they will be connected in some manner.

Cinema Blend points out that the studios are releasing the film at the right time given that movies with giant robots are getting popular. Some of the most popular films in this genre lately include the "Transformers" movies, "Pacific Rim," and the upcoming "Power Rangers" film.

No release date has been announced yet.