Key Points
Legendary Entertainment developing live-action Gundam film
Jim Mickle set to write and direct the project
Sydney Sweeney in advanced negotiations for lead role
Franchise originated as popular Japanese sci-fi series
‘Sweet Tooth’ showrunner Jim Mickle is set to write and direct the live-action film, which is co-developed between Bandai Namco Filmworks and Legendary Entertainment, reports ‘Variety’.
Mickle also serves as a producer on the project with Linda Moran through their company, Nightshade. The Japanese military science fiction media franchise ‘Gundam’ first launched in 1979 as a TV series from Yoshiyuki Tomino, ‘Mobile Suit Gundam’.
As per ‘Variety’, it grew in popularity through the 1980s due to a wide array of adaptations across animated feature films, novels, manga, toys, models and video games.
The original series is set in the distant future in what is known as the Universal Century, as human colonies in space fight for independence from Earth. The battles are fought largely through giant robots called Mobile Suits.
Legendary first announced the ‘Gundam’ film in 2021, with ‘Kong: Skull Island’ filmmaker Jordan Vogt-Roberts as the project’s original director. Plot and character details are currently under wraps. Legendary declined to comment.
Sydney Sweeney’s recent film work includes ‘Madame Web’, ‘Immaculate’ and Ron Howard’s ‘Eden’.
The actor and producer has a slew of projects in the pipeline: she’s set to appear in the AppleTV+ film ‘Echo Valley’ alongside Julianne Moore, the Freida McFadden adaptation ‘The Housemaid’ with Amanda Seyfried, Colman Domingo’s ‘Scandalous’ and an untitled biopic in which she stars as boxer Christy Martin.
The InSneider was first to report Sweeney’s “Gundam” involvement.
On television, Sweeney is also expected to return for the third season of HBO’s smash hit ‘Euphoria’ alongside Zendaya and Jacob Elordi.
