Sydney Sweeney is in final negotiations to star in the live-action Gundam film at Legendary, according to sources who reached out to Deadline and insider Jeff Sneider, a.k.a. InSneider. As the military science fiction film's plot, the details about Sydney's role are still being kept under wraps, and Legendary hasn't shared an official update.
Jim Mickle, who's known as the showrunner of Netflix's fantasy drama series Sweet Tooth, is set to write and direct the live-action Gundam film, which is co-developed between franchise owner Bandai Namco Filmworks and Legendary. Mickle is also producing the project with Linda Moran through their company, Nightshade.
What is the live-action Gundam movie about?
Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino, the Gundam is a multimedia franchise kicked off with an anime series titled Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979, and it's considered to be a pioneer of the sci-fi subgenre known as “mecha,” revolving around giant fighting robots. The live-action Gundam project was officially announced by Legendary Entertainment in Spring 2021, tapping Jordan Vogt-Roberts as the initial director following his work with the studio on its popular Monsterverse film, Kong: Skull Island.
The Gundam franchise grew in popularity through the 1980s due to a constant stream of adaptations across manga, animated feature films, toys, models, video games, and novels. The franchise generated over $600 annually, largely thanks to the sale of a wide array of merchandise.
The original Mobile Suit Gundam anime series is set in the distant future in what is known as the Universal Century, as human colonies in space battle for independence from Earth. Pilots from both sides control the giant robots known as Mobile Suits which they largely use to fight. The live-action Gundam film will likely be set in a distant future, but exact plot details are still being kept under wraps.
Sweeney recently starred in Immaculate, Madame Web, and Ron Howard's survival thriller film Eden. She is expected to reprise her role as Cassie Howard in the third season of HBO's hit series Euphoria. She will also star in Apple TV+'s thriller Echo Valley, premiering on June 13, an untitled biopic in which she stars as boxer Christy Martin, Colman Domingo’s Scandalous!, Lionsgate’s The Housemaid, and more.
