Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the director and producer of Kong: Skull Island, will direct and produce the film for Legendary and Netflix. The script is being written by comic book writer Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man), who will also executive produce the film. It’s unknown which aspects of Gundam’s story would be used in the live-action adaptation. The Gundam series began in 1979 as a TV show called Mobile Suit Gundam, and is set in a far future where human colonies battle in giant mecha suits. The long-running series has spawned several movies, films, manga, toys, and video games.
Netflix is producing a Gundam live action feature film produced by Legendary Pictures and directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts.pic.twitter.com/51HVoraPb7 https://t.co/GF3sswEHDX
— Catsuka (@catsuka) April 12, 2021
Nippon Sunrise created and animated the anime television series Gundam, also known as First Gundam, Gundam 0079, and simply Gundam ’79. Yoshiyuki Tomino created and directed the show, which debuted on April 7, 1979, on Nagoya Broadcasting Network and its associated ANN stations in Japan and ran for 43 episodes.
It was the first Gundam series, and several sequels and spin-offs have followed. The story follows the conflict between the Principality of Zeon and the Earth Federation in the “Universal Century” 0079, with the latter introducing a new giant robot known as the RX-78-2 Gundam piloted by Amuro Ray, a teenage civilian mechanic.
Grab your Mobile suits! Jordan Vogt-Roberts has been set to direct and produce Legendary’s first-ever live-action feature film version of Sunrise’s GUNDAM for Netflix.
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) April 12, 2021
Aside from the information on the core creative team and the fact that it will be released on Netflix, little is known about the live-action Gundam film. There are no plot specifics, and it’s uncertain when the film will be available to watch. There’s also the upcoming Metal Gear Solid film, which Vogt-Roberts is directing.
It’s not exactly the first Gundam movie for live-action. G-Saviour had a theatrical release in Japan in 1999. It was made-for-television. It’s a sure bet that this time around the budget would be a little bigger.
Netflix now adapts another Sunrise property, Cowboy Bebop, to live-action. Taken last month as a result of extensive delays due to the effects of COVID-19 and lead actor John Cho, who suffered an incident. Later this year, the show could hit Netflix.
Vogt-Roberts debuted as a feature director with the independent film “The Kings of Summer” in 2013, which he followed up with Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ “Kong: Skull Island.” The film made $168 million in the United States and $566.7 million internationally.
The director is also working on a Sony Pictures adaptation of the iconic video game franchise “Metal Gear Solid,” which will star Oscar Isaac, but it appears that “Gundam” will be the first to shoot.
Netflix is keeping quiet about the plot of the film. It is unknown if Vogt-Roberts’ film will be set in the Universal Century (the same timeline the original Gundam anime is set in). Fans should anticipate massive battles as the armies of the space colonies fight a freedom war against those left on Earth if Vogt-Roberts and Legendary take direct inspiration from the film. In the coming months, more information about the plot of the film is expected to be announced. Action geeks should also check out the Best 100 Movies on Netflix.
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