Netflix is reportedly preparing to bring the long-awaited live-action Gundam film to audiences worldwide. According to Deadline, the streaming giant is in talks to distribute Legendary Entertainment’s feature-length adaptation of the iconic mecha franchise, with Sydney Sweeney and Noah Centineo attached to star.
The project will be directed by Sweet Tooth showrunner Jim Mickle, who also penned the screenplay. Mickle is producing alongside his longtime collaborator Linda Moran under their Nightshade banner, while Centineo is set to co-produce with partner Enzo Marc. The film is being developed in collaboration with Bandai Namco Filmworks, the longtime steward of the Gundam franchise.
While plot details remain tightly under wraps, the movie is poised to become the first major live-action theatrical feature set in the Gundam universe. The franchise previously experimented with live-action via the Canadian-made television film G-Saviour, which aired in 1999, but this marks the first large-scale Hollywood adaptation.
First launched in 1979 with Mobile Suit Gundam, the franchise is widely credited with defining the “real robot” mecha genre. Set primarily within the Universal Century timeline, Gundam depicts humanity’s expansion into space and the devastating wars between Earth and its colonies, fought using massive humanoid machines known as mobile suits. Over the decades, creator Yoshiyuki Tomino’s universe has grown into one of anime’s most influential multimedia empires, encompassing more than 80 animated series and films and generating an estimated $600 million annually through merchandising.
Legendary initially announced plans for a live-action Gundam film in 2021, with Kong: Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts attached and Netflix involved at the time. However, that iteration stalled, and both Vogt-Roberts and the streamer later exited the project. Netflix’s renewed interest now signals fresh momentum for the long-gestating adaptation.
Neither Netflix nor Legendary has officially commented on the report, but for fans of the franchise, the prospect of Gundam finally making the leap to live-action cinema is once again very real.
Source: Deadline
