For nearly forty years, Gundam has been one of the most popular mecha franchises in the world, with numerous anime spin-offs, manga, animated movies, video games, and merchandise. And now, Gundam is finally getting a live-action movie, courtesy of Legendary Pictures.
Via The Hollywood Reporter, the official announcement was made on Thursday at Anime Expo in Los Angeles, as the animation studio Sunrise played a short video revealing it is co-producing the live-action Gundam movie with Legendary. Producer Cale Boyter will oversee Gundam for Legendary; a screenwriter and a director have not yet been attached to the project.
So far, no story details about the Gundam film are available, but the universe is vast–there is ample material to pull from its four decade history. The original series, Mobile Suit Gundam, debuted in Japan in 1979; it was set in a future torn apart by a war between Earth and the breakaway colony planets for control of the system. In this era, conventional warfare was largely set aside in favor of giant robots controlled by pilots; their devastating battles captivated fans and eventually built a fervent following around the world. Over twenty Gundam animated TV series have followed along with numerous OVA releases.
What do you want to see in a live-action Gundam movie? Which series should be adapted for film? And who would you choose as the director? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Images: Sunrise
Editor’s note: Nerdist Industries is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.
