After first being announced back in 2018 and then getting a brand new director in Jim Mickle late last year, it seems the production of the live-action Hollywood Gundam film is now in full swing.
Bandai Namco announced today that it will establish a North American subsidiary named Bandai Namco Filmworks America to help produce the live-action film and co-finance it alongside production company Legendary.
2018 Gundam Live-Action Film Announcement
According to the press release, Legendary and Bandai Namco Filmworks signed the agreement to co-finance the film together in January 2025. Alongside helping Legendary produce the Gundam film, Bandai Namco Filmworks America will also be the lead point of call for the Gundam series outside Japan and aims to increase the series’ “brand value.” Bandai Namco Filmworks America is set to begin business on April 1, 2025.
Originally, the Gundam movie had Legendary and Bandai Namco working with Netflix with director Jordan Vogt-Robers (Kong: Skull Island) at the helm. Now, today’s press release states that the live-action Gundam film will released in theaters worldwide.Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino, the Mobile Suit Gundam series started with the 1979 TV anime, which is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll, which describes the series as such:
Universal Century 0079. The rebel space colonies of the Principality of Zeon launch a war of independence against the Earth Federation, using humanoid fighting vehicles called mobile suits to overwhelm the Federation Forces and conquer half of Earth’s surface. Months later, the Federation has finally developed its own prototype mobile suits at a remote space colony. But when the colony suffers a Zeon surprise attack, these new weapons fall into the hands of a motley crew of civilians and cadets. Fate places a youth named Amuro Ray at the controls of the white mobile suit Gundam…
Source: Bandai Namco Press Release
