Legendary Entertainment and Kong: Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts are teaming up to work on a live-action Gundam movie that will stream exclusively on Netflix.
Details about the project, operating under the working title GUNDAM, are limited at this time. Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Runaways) is writing the screenplay and will also act as an executive producer. The movie will stream on Netflix globally except in China where Legendary will distribute the film. There is no set release date for the film yet. He’s joined by Cale Boyter who will oversee the project on behalf of Legendary and original Gundam studio, Sunrise. Jason Young, director of the original film at Netflix, will also oversee the project.
In terms of the movie’s actual plot, Netflix is staying mum. It’s unclear if Vogt-Roberts’ film will take place in the Universal Century (the same timeline the original Gundam anime is set in). If Vogt-Roberts and Legendary take their influence directly from the show, fans should expect gigantic battles as the armies of the space colonies wage a war of independence against those still on Earth. More details about the film’s plot are expected to be released in the coming months.
On paper, it’s a perfect match for Netflix, Legendary, and Vogt-Roberts. Netflix has spent the last several years building up its own anime offering alongside developing big budget blockbusters. Netflix declined to comment on the film’s budget when asked by IGN. Still, Gundam is the perfect combination of both. Having a movie like Gundam could help Netflix bring in a batch of new subscribers and offer the type of “must-watch” movie to prevent current subscribers from canceling. Tapping into an active, global fan base — like Netflix did with its Witcher live-action series — is also a smart move for the company.
Legendary, a company whose recent quarrels with WarnerMedia over the handling and distribution of Godzilla vs Kong and Dune were made public in trade reports, can likely ignore some headaches. When WarnerMedia announced its decision to shift its 2021 slate to a hybrid release model (meaning that films would be available in theaters and on HBO Max the day they were released), Legendary Entertainment reportedly challenged the decision to do so with Dune and Godzilla vs Kong. Legendary financed both movies and, without a full box office release, would lose out on box office revenue amongst other deals previously negotiated.
Plus, Netflix was prepared to buy Godzilla vs Kong for $200 million, but WarnerMedia blocked the decision, according to Deadline. Since Netflix doesn’t have any major theatrical plans with the majority of its films, and since Legendary can fully distribute the movie in China on its own, there are less circumstances likely to pop up. For Vogt-Roberts, who routinely tweets about various Gundam properties, it’s an obvious choice.The first Gundam series — Mobile Suit Gundam — was created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and debuted in 1979. Since then, Sunrise and partners have released numerous spinoffs (including this writer’s personal favorite, Gundam SEED ). Gundam models and figurines remain some of Bandai’s most popular, and a life-sized Unicorn Gundam currently stands tall in Tokyo.
