Robert Rodriguez is making a live-action version of Bakshi & Frazetta’s Fire and Ice

Back in the pre-digital days, I watched the animated fantasy film FIRE AND ICE so many times that I literally wore out the VHS tape. The huge-breasted, scantily clad princess was only partially responsible.

And now Robert Rodriguez has acquired the rights to Ralph Bakshi’s gorgeous 1983 collaboration with the late legendary painter Frank Frazetta, and plans to bring it to life, literally.

As he tells AICN: “The awesome Ralph Bakshi and I have been working it out for a while, and it’s now a TROUBLEMAKER STUDIOS PICTURE. What’s cool is, unlike past projects that I’d get involved with that would get stalled for various reasons, I control the rights to this one. So it’s actually in my power to set it up and get it made, which wasn’t the case on other projects. And for you filmmakers out there, that’s really the best way to get things done. If you can manage to get the rights yourself to a property by dealing directly with the artists and creators like I did with Frank Miller on SIN CITY, and now with Ralph Bakshi on FIRE AND ICE, it makes a world of difference and you can get started sooner rather than never.”

RR expresses his regret that the deal came together shortly after Frazetta died, and also discusses a bit more about the project, along with what’s been going on with the “controversy” surrounding his MACHETE. Check it out HERE.

In FIRE AND ICE, evil sorcerer Nekron is pushing a gargantuan glacier across the land toward the peaceful realm of Firekeep, right through the homeland of farmboy Larn. While he’s on the run from Nekron’s subhuman footsoldiers, Firekeep’s buoyant princess Teegra (who possesses the type of wonderfully exaggerated shape favored by Frazetta) is kidnapped from their castle. The two escape their pursuers and meet, quickly falling for each other. When they are separated once again, Larn teams with enigmatic warrior Darkwolf to rescue his new love from Nekron’s clutches and put an end to his frigid reign.

Screenwriter Roy Thomas worked on Marvel’s CONAN and STAR WARS comics, unsurprisingly resulting in some stock characters (naive hero, sexy princess, vile wizard, mysterious rogue). But FIRE AND ICE shines in that showcases subject matter (barbarians, babes, monsters) right in line with Frazetta’s style, and some beautiful animation thanks to Bakshi’s now-forgotten “rotoscoping” process where live actors are filmed and then painted over, giving the characters expressive posturing and incredibly fluid movement.

Check out the trailer below for a taste, and then go get the DVD and feed your eyes.