It's been over a month since Bandai Namco Japan announced that a live-action Mobile Suit Gundam movie is in the works, yet fans remain divided.
While the news has sparked excitement among franchise enthusiasts, skepticism persists despite the series' ongoing expansion.
This divide reflects a clash between cautious optimism and outright rejection of Hollywood's latest attempt at adapting anime.
The Development of a Live-Action Gundam Movie
Gundam will soon broaden its reach and dominate the US with the development of an American Bandai film.
Bandai Namco Filmworks and Legendary Entertainment, the producers of Dune and Godzilla vs. Kong, collaborated to develop the live-action Gundam movie.
Directed by Netflix’s Sweet Tooth director Jim Mickle, the film will be released worldwide theatrically and marks Bandai Namco’s effort to expand the franchise’s global footprint through its North American subsidiary.
According to reports, the film’s development began in 2024 after Netflix left the project. Mickle replaced the initial director, Jordan Vogt-Roberts, and a teaser poster featuring cosmic visuals and the iconic RX-78-2 Gundam silhouette was released.
However, no casting or plot details have been announced yet.
Launched in 1979, the Gundam series spans 45 years of anime, manga, games, and merchandise. The upcoming film’s story remains unknown, but there are theories that it could adapt the Universal Century timeline or tell an original story.
Fans Skeptical About a New Gundam Movie
The announcement of a new live-action Gundam movie reignites the long-standing debates about Hollywood’s track record with anime adaptations.
While some fans are excited about the new take on the mecha genre, there’s no denying that others expressed concern about possible creative missteps.
Reddit user Yadilie explained that it didn’t “help when the Western adaptors try to put their mark on the series and think certain things aren’t right about it and decide on changing a majority of characters, motivations, and such.”
The Redditor even cited that the live-action adaptation of Death Note turned out to be a new Final Destination movie.
Many fans are also worried that the film adaptation may dilute Gundam’s signature war-themes for spectacle.
Some also argue that adapting the Universal Century timeline, such as Amuro and Char’s story, risks alienating purists.
Redditor Obeley added that making the film an alternate universe (AU) would only let the filmmakers modernize the story without backlash.
“Thus, making the live-action movie another AU is the best route IMO,” he said. “That means UC purists/gatekeepers can't b*tch about how ‘unfaithful’ it is to the UC timeline.”
Despite that, some are still optimistic about it, especially after Ready Player One’s brief Gundam cameo.
Twitter user Brett said, “Gundam and The Iron Giant fighting Mecha Godzilla just completed my life.”
@vveaponz also got excited in the Gundam part.
Mr. 2KOOL also requested a Gundam movie by Hollywood, thanks to Ready Player One.
With Legendary’s success with sci-fi epics and Mickle’s top-notch work on Sweet Tooth, fans expect the live-action Gundam movie to feature a perfect balance of emotional storytelling and action.