One of the most anticipated Netflix movies just got very real.
The live-action “Gundam” film has officially begun production in Queensland, Australia… and the cast assembled for this one is seriously impressive.
A Star-Studded Team Takes on an Iconic Franchise
Sydney Sweeney and Noah Centineo are leading the charge as rival mech pilots at the center of a decades-long space war. Sweeney, who has been on a remarkable run lately, coming off the box office hit “The Housemaid” and currently starring in “Euphoria” Season 3, is also serving as a producer on the film alongside Centineo.
Centineo spoke with Collider at CinemaCon just days before heading to Australia to begin shooting, and he was clearly fired up about it. He told Collider the project is going to be “huge,” praising director Jim Mickle and adding: “In the same way that we were fan-first on Street Fighter, we’re fan-first on Gundam. Fans can expect the same level of meticulous attention to detail when it comes to respecting the property and the IP.”
Netflix also celebrated the production start with an official announcement on X.
The supporting cast is just as exciting. Joining Sweeney and Centineo are Jason Isaacs (The White Lotus), Michael Mando (Better Call Saul), Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool & Wolverine), Javon “Wanna” Walton (Under the Bridge), Jackson White (Tell Me Lies), Ida Brooke (Dune: Part Three), Gemma Chua-Tran (Heartbreak High), Oleksandr Rudynskyi (The Agency), and Nonso Anozie (Sweet Tooth).
What the Movie Is About
The film tells an original story, not a direct adaptation of any specific entry in the long-running franchise (which has spanned over 50 TV shows and movies since its 1979 debut). According to Netflix, it follows rival mech pilots on opposite sides of a war between Earth and its former space colonies. As shifting allegiances and a growing threat bring them onto a collision course, they find themselves in a high-stakes race across the stars with the fate of humanity on the line.
It’s a premise that honors the core DNA of the franchise (think epic battles, political tension, and deeply human emotion), while also giving the filmmakers room to build something fresh for audiences who may be new to “Gundam” entirely.
The Director Bringing It to Life
At the helm is Jim Mickle, the director behind Netflix’s beloved “Sweet Tooth” as well as the critically acclaimed thriller “Cold in July.” Mickle is known for building immersive, emotionally grounded worlds. He also wrote the script himself, which signals a real personal investment in getting this right.
The film is produced by Legendary Pictures in partnership with Bandai Namco Filmworks, the owner of the IP, giving the project a strong foundation on both the Hollywood production side and the Japanese IP side. No release date has been announced yet, but with cameras now rolling in Australia, fans won’t have to wait much longer for more updates.
