The Gundam franchise is perhaps the most famous mecha anime franchise in history. All beginning with the very first Mobile Suit Gundam anime that aired all the way back in 1979, and continuing to the present day with new anime such as the upcoming Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe anime film. It’s not just anime though. The franchise has long since expanded various manga, light novels, video games, and most famous of all: gunpla. Those little plastic scale model figurines are some of the most famous of the Gundam merchandise, and now, because of that fame, we will get one more addition to the franchise.
Legendary Entertainment and Netflix, in partnership with Bandai Namco Filmworks, are proud to announce the start of production for a live-action Gundam movie. Apparently, production has begun in Queensland, Australia; with Jim Mickle (Sweet Tooth; Cold in July) as the director.
Not only that, but as part of this announcement, we’re also getting a full cast for this upcoming Gundam film. Sydney Sweeney (The Housemaid, Euphoria) and Noah Centineo (Street Fighter, Warfare) will star in it, with other cast including Jackson White (Tell Me Lies), Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool & Wolverine), Nonso Anozie (Sweet Tooth), Michael Mando (Better Call Saul), Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton (Under the Bridge), Oleksandr Rudynskyi (The Agency), Ida Brooke (Dune: Part Three), Gemma Chua-Tran (Heartbreak High), and Jason Isaacs (The White Lotus, Harry Potter, The Death of Stalin). Alas, we have no word on who these cast will play, so that info will have to come later.
Live-Action Gundam Film Takes First Steps Into Production Reality
Honestly, I’m on the fence about this. On one hand, a live-action Gundam movie could be the gritty military sci-fi film we’ve dreamed of. On the other hand, Netflix’s live-action adaptations of…well, anything, have historically been a hit-or-miss. They have had one real success story with their live-action One Piece adaptation, and that’s about it. All we can do now is hope that this live-action Gundam movie is a hit rather than a miss.
As well as speculate on the cast. If this is going to be a live-action adaptation of the original Mobile Suit Gundam, then Sydney Sweeney and Noah Centineo will likely play Amuro Ray and Char Aznable. Which one will be which is up to debate, as will who the rest of this rather large cast will play.
What do you all think? Does this news raise your hopes about this upcoming live-action Gundam movie? Tell us your giant robot thoughts in the comments section below.
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