The popularity of giant robots shows no signs of slowing down. Transformers is getting a reboot in Bumblebee, Voltron is thriving in animated form on Netflix, and now Gundam is set for a new big-screen outing. As announced at the Anime Expo 2018 in LA, Legendary Entertainment is working animation studio Sunrise on a live-action movie based on the iconic Japanese mecha saga.
It’s very early days on the project – there’s no writer, director or star attached as of yet, no proposed release date, and it’s unknown what angle on the material will be taken. However, the studio has released a synopsis on the world of Gundam: “The original Gundam series is set in the Universal Century, an era in which humanity’s growing population has led people to emigrate to space colonies. Eventually, the people living in the colonies seek their autonomy, and launch a war of independence against the people living on Earth. Through the tragedies and discord arising from this human conflict, not only the maturation of the main character, but also the intentions of enemies and the surrounding people are sensitively depicted. The battles in the story, in which the characters pilot robots known as mobile suits, are wildly popular.”
While some Western audiences might be less familiar with Gundam, they might have already come across it earlier this year in a global blockbuster — a Gundam mecha suit appeared in Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One, piloted by Daito in the final showdown.
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