When we talk about media franchises, sometimes it’s easy to forget how long certain ones have been running for. In this case, we’re thinking about “Gundam.” Anime and non-anime fans alike know the name. When it comes to mecha series, it’s the one that sets the standard by which all others are compared. And while it has seen its share of adaptations in various media, it has not yet received a live action film. That’s about to change.
On February 5th, Bandai Namco released a press statement announcing their Filmworks division is pressing forward with a live action Gundam film. The project will be a co-production between themselves and American studio Legendary Pictures. In terms of details, the only information they provided is that the movie will be written and directed by Jim Mickle. Mickle is perhaps most popularly known for his Netflix series adaptation of “Sweet Tooth.”
The “Gundam” franchise dates back to 1979 when its first series “Mobile Suit Gundam” premiered in Japan. Across its iterations its hallmark features tend to be themes of war and conflict, the effect these have on soldiers and civilians, and the use of Gundam. These giant, bipedal, piloted robots come in a variety of shapes and armaments. To say they’re the series major selling point does diminish the writing and other characters a bit, but the amount of video games and model kits based on them speaks volumes.
There are a lot of directions this upcoming movie can go. Given the extensive history of “Gundam” and the various series that have come out under its name, you could create a unique story as easily as adapting the classic story of Amuro Ray and his conflict with Char Aznable. If there was any desire to play more to the American audiences, you could also do an adaptation of “Gundam Wing,” which was arguably the series that broke the franchise into North America when it aired on Toonami.
To say that we’re excited to see where this goes is an understatement. The closest we ever got to anything Gundam related as a live action film was probably “Pacific Rim” but that’s a far cry from the thematic elements that the anime series is known for. We greatly look forward to providing more updates as they become available.
