According to Deadline, Netflix will be the home for a new live-action Gundam movie. The film will feature Sydney Sweeney (known for Euphoria) and Noah Centineo (To All the Boys I Loved Before), and will be directed and written by Jim Mickle, the creator of the popular Netflix series Sweet Tooth. Legendary Pictures and Bandai Namco Filmworks, the owner of the Gundam franchise, are producing the movie. As of now, neither Legendary Pictures nor Netflix has officially confirmed the news.
The upcoming Gundam film will be the first live-action movie based on the hugely popular anime series. Starting in 1979 with Mobile Suit Gundam, the franchise has become a science fiction icon, known worldwide for its giant robot battles. It’s one of the best-selling mecha franchises globally, earning $600 million each year from merchandise. The story takes place in the future, where humans live in space, and a war has broken out between Earth and its space colonies, fought using massive, piloted robots called mobile suits.
Sources say Sydney Sweeney is in talks to play Aina Sahalin, a pilot from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team. Percy Hynes White is likely to star as Shiro Amada, a commander from the Earth Federation. Gabriel Basso, known for The Night Agent, is also reportedly joining the cast, though his role hasn’t been revealed. Filming is expected to begin this spring.
‘Gundam’s Development History
Lionsgate
Netflix’s acquisition of the Gundam franchise feels like things have come full circle for the planned live-action reboot. Originally, Netflix intended to release a live-action Gundam film in 2021, with Jordan Voght-Roberts (director of Kong: Skull Island) attached to direct. However, the project stalled. By 2024, Jim Mickle had taken over as director and writer, and rumors suggested Sweeney might star, but it seemed like Netflix had abandoned the film altogether. Now, five years later, Netflix is revisiting Gundam.
It’s surprising that Paramount Skydance, despite a recent deal with Legendary Pictures starting in 2025, chose not to pursue the Gundam project. Paramount Skydance’s David Ellison is currently trying to buy Warner Bros. while also planning revivals of popular franchises like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Trek, and Transformers. Gundam seemed like a good fit for the studio’s new direction, but now it’s going to Warner Bros., potentially as part of that acquisition.
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Netflix seems to be making a big investment with the Gundam acquisition, likely due to the growing popularity of anime on the platform. Casting well-known actors like Sydney Sweeney and Noah Centineo is also a smart move for attracting viewers. It will be interesting to see if Gundam gets a traditional theatrical release – something Netflix plans to do with Warner Bros. films if the acquisition goes through – or if that plan only applies to films not originally produced by Netflix.
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2026-01-28 23:12