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Gundam Live-Action Movie Could Be Heading To Netflix

Last year, a live-action Gundam movie was officially greenlit, and it sounds like it might have a new home over at Netflix.

Published Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:49:06 -0600

by Kaitlyn Booth

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Article Summary

Netflix is reportedly in talks to distribute the upcoming live-action Gundam movie adaptation.
Gundam's transition to live-action follows the trend of anime adaptations like Voltron.
The film is co-produced by Legendary and Bandai Namco Filmworks, with Jim Mickle attached as director and writer.
Sydney Sweeney and Noah Centineo have been cast as leads, with VFX and suits key to the film's success.

More and more anime are getting live-action adaptations, and some of them are even decent, but many people thought the various large robot series were off the table simply because it would be difficult to make them look decent. Voltron is already in the works, and last year, we got final confirmation that a Gundam movie was in the works as well. Not only is it possible for studios to make these films, but we live in a world now where streamers are the ones who will distribute them. According to Deadline, Netflix might be the new one for the new Gundam film, though it sounds like that isn't entirely confirmed yet. Netflix has several successful live-action adaptations of animated shows, so if there was a place that could figure out how to get this to the audience, it would be them. Gundam fans also found this series on television rather than movie theaters, so it isn't that far-fetched to think that keeping them as in-home releases is a bad idea.

A collage featuring promotional elements for the Gundam live-action movie including a cinematic space scene with a glowing arc, and two actors posing at events. The bottom text indicates the co-production status of the film. — L-R: LOS ANGELES – OCT 25: Sydney Sweeney at the 2025 AFI FEST – "Christy" Premiere at the TCL Chinese Theater IMAX on October 25, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA. Editorial Credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com | Credit: LEGENDARY and Bandai Namco Filmworks | Noah Centineo at the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'Warfare' held at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, USA on March 27, 2025. Editorial Credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock

A Live-Action Gundam Movie Was Going To Happen Eventually

In February 2025, it was confirmed that a live-action movie based on Mobile Suit Gundam was in the works. The franchise has been around since 1979 and was created by Yoshiyuki Tomino. It helped solidify the genre of giant robots and its many rip-offs and homages. And much like most things initially created for animation, it always seemed like it wasn't made for live-action much in the same way Voltron wasn't seen as viable source material for a live-action adaptation. As detailed in a press release, Bandai Namco Filmworks and Legendary have signed an agreement to co-finance a live-action Gundam movie, which will be given a worldwide theatrical release. In addition to that, we also have a director and writer attached to the project, Jim Mickle, the showrunner of Sweet Tooth, over on Netflix.

Over the course of 2025, we got some updates, including the fact that Sydney Sweeney and Noah Centineo were going to be our leads. There hadn't been much movement since then, however, but it sounds like things are still in motion. As with most things, the "make or break" element of a Gundam film will be the suits and how they look and function on screen. Your guess is as good as ours on how that will work out, but Voltron will likely make it to the big screen first, so maybe they can see what does or doesn't work there and learn from it. VFX has come a long way, and practical effects can be used for something like this the right way. Many fans will write this one off without seeing a single frame, but we'll have to see. It was always going to happen eventually.

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