A live-action Gundam movie is one of those adaptations that fans have long been hoping for but just hasn’t seemed to come together. Incredibly, the Gundam franchise has existed since April 7, 1979. That means it has been around for over 40 years. Phew! Nearly half a century seems like a lot of time for Gundam to have gotten into the live-action movie game. But although we’ve heard of efforts now and again, none of them were meant to be. But now, finally, a live-action Gundam movie is officially moving forward with Legendary and Bandai Namco Filmworks.
There’s even a Gundam poster to seal the deal. And isn’t that the best news you’ve heard all day?
A Live-Action Gundam Movie Is Officially On the Way
A release shares, “Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc. and LEGENDARY have signed an agreement in
January 2025 to co-finance “GUNDAM (tentative name)” (referred to as “GUNDAM”), a Hollywood live-action film adaptation of the Mobile Suit Gundam series.” The official statement further reveals that Jim Mickle (Sweet Tooth) will write and direct the Gundam movie. Legendary Pictures will produce the movie, and it will be release in theaters worldwide. We have not received any further information about story, casting, or anything else. But Bandai Namco promises “to steadily announce details as they become finalized.”
Bandai Namco, of course, has been the stewards of Gundam since 1980, only a year after the franchise first came into being. With the company so involved, this Gundam live-action movie will no doubt fulfill all of fans’ many wishes. Meanwhile, Bandai Namco’s partner Legendary, has also proven itself a great keeper of fan-forward franchises, creating the much beloved Monsterverse and shepherding Dune to live-action greatness. Together, this union will no doubt create a movie that evolves the legacy of Gundam and takes it to new, out-of-this-world heights.
The release confirms that this movie marks the first-ever Gundam live-action movie.
The Poster for the Live-Action Gundam Movie
As mentioned and seen above, to cement that a live-action Gundam movie is really happening, Bandai Namco even release a poster for the film. We don’t see too much in it, just a swooping ball of firey light darting across a planet. But we’re already getting a sense of the scope and epic scale that this movie aims to achieve. The poster also notes, “Co-production of the live-action Gundam movie has begun.” Cue the cheering from all over the galaxy.
The History of This Live-Action Gundam Movie
When last we first heard of the live-action Gundam movie in 2021, it was heading to Netflix. Netflix even shared our first look at a 3D-rendered version of the famous RX-78-2 Gundam created for the movie. Y: The Last Man and Runaways writer Brian K. Vaughn was involved at that point. In 2024, reports indicated that Vaughn and Netflix were no longer a part of the film and that, indeed, Mickle had come aboard to helm the movie instead. But it’s good to hear all this news officially confirmed.
More About Gundam
Gundam is a franchise that has a sprawling history and complex continuity. Of course, with 25 anime series, 34 movies, 27 OVAs, streaming content, event-exclusive footage, TV specials, and more produced for over 40 years, it’s not surprising that this is the case. In a very abridged summary, the original Mobile Suit Gundam series focused on a war between the Principality of Zeon and the Earth Federation. The Earth Federation, in the hopes of winning the war, creates a new giant robot known as the RX-78-2 Gundam, which is piloted by a teenage civilian mechanic, Amuro Ray. In its many spinoffs and sequels, Gundam has retained the running theme of young humans piloting mecha armor—an aspect that will no doubt come into play in the live-action movie.
The main Gundam continuity takes place in the “Universal Century” timeline, but again, we have no way of knowing how a movie will fit into what the franchise has already established. We’ll have to wait and see which stories and characters, if any, cross over into live-action. There’s always an all-original story in the world that could come to life.
When Will the Live-Action Gundam Movie Release?
For now, the Gundam live-action movie does not have a release date. It sounds like we are in the early days, but hopefully, this time, the film take off with great purpose.
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