Sydney Sweeney expected to star in live-action Gundam movie

American actress Sydney Sweeney is expected to star in the upcoming Hollywood adaptation of “Mobile Suit Gundam”.

The news of Sweeney’s potential involvement was first reported on March 31st.

The project is being co-developed by Legendary Entertainment and Bandai Namco, the owner of the “Gundam” franchise.

As of this announcement, specific details regarding the character Sweeney is being considered to portray, as well as the overarching plot of the live-action “Gundam” movie, remain undisclosed.

Hollywood news sources indicate the actress is in the final stages of negotiating her role in the film

Representatives for Legendary Entertainment, the studio behind the adaptation, have declined to provide any official comments on the casting negotiations or the film’s narrative direction.

Jim Mickle, known for his work on the critically acclaimed Netflix series “Sweet Tooth”, is currently expected to direct.

Mickle is also credited with writing the screenplay for the live-action “Gundam” film and will also serve as a producer on the film, alongside his producing partner Linda Moran, through their production company, Nightshade.

The “Gundam” franchise is a pioneering anime series and major force within the science fiction genre, particularly within the “mecha” and “real robot” subgenres.

The Gundam series is a huge franchise in Japan spanning across TV, games, toys and events

The series originated from the 1979 anime television series “Mobile Suit Gundam” created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and produced by Sunrise, now part of Bandai Namco.

“Mobile Suit Gundam” revolutionized the mecha genre by introducing complex characters, mature themes of war and politics, and a more realistic portrayal of giant robots as military hardware rather than purely fantastical entities.

This initial series spawned a vast and intricate “Universal Century” timeline, along with numerous alternate universe storylines, encompassing anime television series, films, manga, video games, novels as well as multiple spin-off series featuring alternative timelines and stories.

The “Gundam” franchise is estimated to generate over $600 million in revenue annually through various media and merchandise sales, demonstrating its sustained global popularity and cultural impact.

Legendary Entertainment initially announced its plans to develop a live-action “Gundam” film in the spring of 2021.

Multiple life-size Gundam statues exist in Japan, including this one in Tokyo

At that time, director Jordan Vogt-Roberts, who previously collaborated with the studio on the successful film “Kong: Skull Island”, was attached to the project as the initial director and the project was expected to be distributed through Netflix.

The live-action “Gundam” movie under development at Legendary Entertainment will be the first time the iconic mecha franchise has been adapted into a Hollywood feature film.

The upcoming Gundam movie will be the first live-action adaptation in over 25 years

It will however be the third time the series has been adapted into live-action, following the 1997 videogame/interactive movie Gundam 0079: The War for Earth and the Japanese television series G-Saviour which was first broadcast in December 2000.

Source: Deadline