After 46 Years, This Sci-Fi Movie Is Still a Hit – And Netflix Might Win Big

Exciting updates on the Gundam movie! According to Deadline, studios are vying to secure broadcasting rights to the first live-action film currently in production by Legendary. Netflix appears to be leading the charge in this battle.

Gundam: Starting from Scratch

Gundam immerses us in a near-future known as the Universal Century, where overpopulation pushes part of humanity to live in space colonies. Soon, wars of independence break out.

The brand has become a popular mecha sci-fi saga (a genre featuring giant robots) thanks to one man, director Yoshiyuki Tomino. He launched the animated series Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979, whose success led to additional productions (including three films). This franchise remains lucrative, generating nearly $600 million annually. It’s no surprise that studios have been battling for years to secure its distribution rights.

A Long-standing Project

As a reminder, Legendary and Sunrise studios announced in 2018 that they were developing this live-action film focused on giant robots, with Brian K. Vaughan (author of the comic book Y: The Last Man) initially handling the script. Jim Mickle (Sweet Tooth) eventually took over the project at the end of 2024, starting the screenplay from scratch.

Two actors are currently attached to the project: the bankable Sydney Sweeney (The Housemaid) and Noah Centineo (Black Adam). It is still unclear which film or series will adapt the script, as the plot remains a closely guarded secret.

Filming is expected to begin this year, with a very likely release in 2027… on Netflix? The platform has neither confirmed nor denied this information, but it was indeed the holder of the rights in 2021… Stay tuned.

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