Netflix has secured the distribution rights to a live-action Gundam feature film, according to Deadline. The project will star Sydney Sweeney of Euphoria and Noah Centineo from To All the Boys I Loved Before. Jim Mickle will write and direct the film. Mickle previously developed the Netflix series Sweet Tooth. The film is produced by Legendary Pictures and Bandai Namco Filmworks. Neither company has confirmed plot details.
The deal brings Gundam back to Netflix after years of stalled development. In 2021, Netflix planned to release a live-action version with Jordan Vogt-Roberts of Kong: Skull Island attached as director. The project later fell apart and sat idle. By 2024, Mickle had taken over as writer and director. Sweeney entered talks in 2025. Netflix appeared to step away. Five years later, the streamer has returned to the franchise.
The film marks the first live-action feature in the long-running Gundam franchise. The property began in 1979 with Mobile Suit Gundam. It remains one of the most valuable sci-fi brands in the world. Industry data places annual merchandise sales near $600 million. The story is set in a future where humans live in space colonies. War breaks out between Earth and the colonies. Battles are fought using piloted mobile suits.
Sources say Sweeney is expected to play a version of Aina Sahalin from Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team. Centineo is rumored to portray Shiro Amada, a commander in the Earth Federation. Gabriel Basso from The Night Agent is also reported to be in talks for an undisclosed role. Production is expected to begin this spring.
The move raises questions about why Paramount Skydance passed on the project. Legendary Pictures signed a multi-picture deal with Paramount Skydance in 2025. David Ellison now leads the studio and is pursuing a legal effort to acquire Warner Bros.. He is also preparing reboots of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Trek, and Transformers. Gundam appeared to fit that strategy. Instead, it now lands with a major competitor.
Netflix has built a strong audience for anime and anime-adjacent titles. The addition of high-profile stars signals a push for broader reach. Analysts say casting choices often drive the platform’s recommendation system. The remaining question is release strategy. Netflix has discussed theatrical runs for future films tied to Warner Bros. if that acquisition succeeds. It is unclear if Gundam will receive a similar window or remain exclusive to streaming.
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Mike Murphy
I'm a politically incorrect, amateur sci-fi writer with zero publications to date. I'm also an unrepentant veteran of the US Navy and fan of Peter Park's marriage to Mary Jane.
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