Netflix’s long-delayed upcoming live-action Gundam movie is finally making moves, as Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s Scorpion star Michael Mando joins the cast.
Deadline reports that Mando has closed a deal to join Netflix and Legendary‘s Gundam movie in an undisclosed role. Both studios declined to comment. However, Mando shared the news over on Twitter, writing, “Entering this beautiful sci-fi opera. A love letter to anime.”
Mando joins Sydney Sweeney, Noah Centineo, and Jason Clarke, who were all previously cast in the project. The movie, which is said to start production this April in Australia, will be directed by Jim Mickle, who also penned the script.
The live-action Gundam movie has not had the easiest road to release and has faced a series of delays after it was first announced way back in 2021, with Jordan Vogt-Roberts attached to direct, but then exited the project. But it seems to be full steam ahead ever since Netflix nabbed the distribution rights earlier this year.
Netflix is keeping plot details tightly under wraps, but we do know that the movie is based on the beloved Gundam anime franchise, created by Yoshiyuki Tomino. The franchise kicked off in 1997 with the Japanese TV show Mobile Suit Gundam, and has spawned multiple spin-off shows, movies, mangas, and graphic novels over the years. However, the upcoming film will be the first live-action Gundam project.
Set in the futuristic past where the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon are at war, the main series follows a teenager who becomes the pilot of the new, advanced robot known as RX-78 Gundam. However, in a bid to defend his colony, the teen is pulled into the troubled world of war, politics, and giant robot combat.
While we wait for more news on Gundam, check out our picks of the best anime shows and the best anime movies for some watchlist inspiration.