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
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