A live-action feature film version of the classic anime series Gundam has officially entered production, after years of speculation.
As far back as 2018, rumours of a big screen version of the franchise have been swirling, with Kong: Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts being connected to the project and Netflix expected to be its eventual home.
However, it has now been announced that the US film studio Legendary will work on the film alongside the newly established Bandai Namco Filmworks America, an offshoot of the Japanese company Bandai Namco, which was the original home of Gundam.
Jim Mickle, creator of Netflix’s Sweet Tooth and director of Stake Land and Cold In July, is now set to direct the film. The project will enter its official production stage on April 1. The new studio arrangement means that the film will be shown in theatres worldwide, as opposed to heading straight to streaming, as would have been the case with the previous Netflix deal.
Gundam launched as the television series Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979, created by Yoshiyuki Tomino. Set in the futuristic ‘Universal Century’, it told the story of a war between the Principality of Zeon and the Earth Federation. The latter is represented by the giant mecha robot Gundam, piloted by Amura Ray.
The popularity of the show has spawned a billion-dollar franchise, including countless further TV series, manga, novels, video games and films, while its spinoff plastic models have accounted for a major share of the Japanese market in such toys.
Life-sized statues of the Gundam character exist in Tokyo and Yokohama, with the latter being granted the opportunity to extend its run after tourists were unable to pay it a visit during the COVID-19-related lockdowns. It features a life-sized robot that moves and lights up at night, showcasing first-hand how the “Moving Gundam” works.
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