Sydney Sweeney in Talks for ‘Gundam’ Movie

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(Left) Sydney Sweeney in ‘The White Lotus’ season 1. Photo: Mario Perez/HBO. (Right) 1979’s ‘Mobile Suit Gundam’. Photo: Nippon Sunrise.

Preview:

Sydney Sweeney is in talks to take a lead role in ‘Gundam.’
It’ll be the first live-action adaptation of the long-running anime franchise.
‘Sweet Tooth’ series boss Jim Mickle is aboard to write and direct.

Having lingered around development limbo for a few years now, the live-action adaptation of giant anime franchise ‘Mobile Suit Gundam’ looks set to get an upgrade in its star power.

“Will you be able to survive?”

TV-141 SeasonsApril 7th, 1979

According to reporter Jeff Sneider, no less a rising star than Sydney Sweeney is in talks to snag one of the lead roles in what is currently only known as ‘Gundam.’

While a sci-fi movie about hulking, mechanized suits doing battle might seem like an odd turn for her career, Sweeney has shown an admirable willingness to hop around genres, embracing horror and others.

It also marks the first real signs of movement for the movie itself.

Which brings us to…

What is ‘Gundam’?

1979’s ‘Mobile Suit Gundam’. Photo: Nippon Sunrise.

One of the most revered animé, ‘Gundam’ is thought of as the ‘Star Wars’ or Marvel Universe of Japan, and is the pioneer of the mecha genre of IP.

Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino, the ‘Gundam’ franchise spans 83 animated series and movies. Its toy and retail business are huge, with the various products and projects generating over $600 million annually.

The original anime, 1979 series ‘Mobile Suit Gundam,’ 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. The battles in the story are fought by the characters piloting robots known as mobile suits.

Part of the mecha genre, the sci-fi subgenre that centers on robots in combat (and usually they are giant robots), it veered from the formula followed by its mecha predecessors in a manner that added dramatic new tones and textures to the genre.

Previously, the giant robots in mecha stories were presented as almost magical devices with celebrity pilots who operated them via remote control or command. Tomino found those Aladdin-with-a-robot tales flimsy so he re-envisioned them as colossal weapons at the center of a complex military epic.

The giant robots, like Flying Fortress, had crews with ace pilots and everyman mechanics, which lent new perspectives, pathos, and battlefield energy to the saga and then to its genre.

We can trace the likes of ‘Pacific Rim’ to the legacy of the ‘Gundam’ stories, while the character also appeared in Steven Spielberg‘s ‘Ready Player One‘.

What has happened with the ‘Gundam’ movie so far?

1979’s ‘Mobile Suit Gundam’. Photo: Nippon Sunrise.

Back in 2019, we learned that ‘Y: The Last Man,’ ‘Ex Machina’ and ‘Runaways’ comic book creator Brian K. Vaughan (who has worked on the TV likes of ‘Lost’ and shows spawned from his titles) was hired to start work on a screenplay for Legendary’s live-action take on the ‘Gundam’ adventures –– the first to move it from the animated sphere.

That was followed in 2021 by word that ‘Kong: Skull Island’ director Jordan Vogt-Roberts would be calling the shots on the new movie, which had found a home at Netflix.

But by the time 2024 rolled around, neither Netflix nor Vogt-Roberts were attached, and Legendary had instead hired ‘Sweet Tooth’ showrunner (and horror movie ‘Stake Land’ director) Jim Mickle to tackle the story instead.

He was brought in to also write a new draft of the script; presumably it’s this that has sparked Sweeney’s attention.

Still, it really needs to stand out to make it on to her crowded To Do list…

What else is Sydney Sweeney working on?

(L to R) Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney in ‘Anyone But You. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

Sweeney’s current schedule is as packed as anyone’s in Hollywood.

Last year included the continued success of hit rom-com ‘Anyone But You’ opposite fellow rising star Glen Powell and Neon horror thriller ‘Immaculate.’

She followed those up with one that she might wish to vanish from her resume, misfiring Spider-Man spin-off ‘Madame Web.’

The actor also filmed the Ron Howard-directed thriller ‘Eden’ about a society of people who opt to start a new life in the Galapagos islands, only for things to wrong. That one should be in theaters this year.

She has shot the Lionsgate adaptation of the novel ‘The Housemaid,’ which has Paul Feige in the director’s chair, and has worked on two other movies, ‘Echo Valley’ about a woman (played by Julianne Moore) whose life is turned upside down when her daughter (Sweeney) shows up covered in someone else’s blood, and a biopic of real-life boxer Christy Martin, with Sweeney in the lead role (not to mention it’s another movie she produced).

(L to R) Brandon Sklenar, Amanda Seyfried, Sydney Sweeney and director Paul Feig at the Lionsgate presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas.Photo: Lionsgate.

Still to come is a starring role in Colman Domingo’s film ‘Scandalous!,’ which will see her playing Kim Novak in the story of the actor’s controversial relationship with Sammy Davis Jr. (played by ‘Alien: Romulus’ David Jonsson).

And that list doesn’t even include the potential movies to which she is attached: that list includes a remake of sci-fi comedy ‘Barbarella,’ thriller ‘The Caretaker’ and a drama called ‘The Registration.’

Finally, we have HBO series ‘Euphoria,’ whose much-delayed third season which is finally filming now for a 2026 release.

Here’s what she told Cosmopolitan about the show’s return:

“We did have a long time between season one and season two, but especially now with the time jump, it’s a new process for me. I’m kind of just learning as I go and being open for whatever’s to come. But I’m also really excited. I love Cassie. She is always such a thrilling character to play, so I’m really looking forward to what’s gonna happen in her life.”

When would the ‘Gundam’ movie be on screens?

Legendary has yet to announce when the movie might hit screens, and given that the company usually partners up with a studio for distribution, we’ll have to wait and see where it lands.

But if Sweeney does sign on, it’ll certainly get a boost in the right direction.