First Look: 46-Year-Old Sci-Fi Saga Earning $600M Annually Hits Theaters!

The filming for the upcoming live-action movie adaptation of the iconic Japanese toy and anime franchise Gundam has officially commenced, as reported by Dark Horizons.

To mark the occasion, Legendary and Bandai Namco Filmworks, the companies behind the project, have released the first poster of the film. This movie aims to be the next big live-action anime adaptation following the success of Netflix’s One Piece and Avatar: The Last Airbender, but this time for theatrical release and on the big screen.

The feature film was first announced in 2018 with Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kong: Skull Island) set to direct. However, the project saw a change in leadership late last year when Jim Mickle (We Are What We Are, Sweet Tooth) took over as director.

Comic book legend Brian K. Vaughn is reportedly still attached to the screenplay. Additionally, Bandai Namco has announced the establishment of a North American subsidiary, Bandai Namco Filmworks America, LLC, to assist in producing the film.

What’s it about?

Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino, the original series debuted in 1979 and is set in the near future known as the Universal Century, a time when Earth’s overpopulation has forced part of humanity to live in space colonies.

Soon, wars of independence break out as the colony inhabitants seek autonomy and engage in battles piloted by robots known as mobile suits. A true legend in the anime world, the internationally renowned franchise spans 83 series and animated films, while its toys generate over 600 million dollars annually.

According to IMDb, the film will be a faithful adaptation of the 1981 animated film Mobile Suit Gundam I and will tell the story of civilian Amuro Ray. After an attack on his space colony above Earth, he steps into his father’s Mobile Suit prototype, a Gundam, to defend the populace from the Zeon invaders.

For now, the Gundam movie is slated for release in 2027. Meanwhile, the original 1979 series is available to revisit on Crunchyroll and the Mobile Suit Gundam I film from 1981 on Netflix.