Legendary Entertainment and Netflix will join forces to produce a live-action Gundam movie based on the popular Japanese multi-platform franchise. Jordan Vogt-Roberts, who is also set to direct an upcoming live-action Metal Gear Solid film starring Oscar Isaac, will direct and produce the film, along with comic book author Brian K. Vaughan, who is set to write the script.
Vogt-Roberts directed the 2017 monster/war movie Kong: Skull Island, the predecessor to the recently released Godzilla vs. Kong, which was also produced by Legendary. Gundam is a Japanese military sci-fi franchise featuring giant robots referred to as mecha. It started back in 1979 with the popular anime Mobile Suit: Gundam and from there has spawned a decades-spanning multi-media franchise which includes television series, cartoons, movies, books, comics, games, and an extremely popular line of highly detailed models and figurines. Netflix confirmed the news on Twitter, writing "Grab your Mobile suits! Jordan Vogt-Roberts has been set to direct and produce Legendary’s first-ever live-action feature film version of Sunrise’s GUNDAM for Netflix." Vogt-Roberts responded to the news on Twitter, saying, “A tweet cannot begin to express how excited I am by this!”
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Vogt-Roberts made his directorial debut with the 2013 coming-of-age film The Kings of Summer, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to high acclaim. He also directed Nick Offerman's 2014 stand-up special and more recently made a name for himself with Kong: Skull Island. The second film in Legendary's MonsterVerse franchise, set during the Vietnam War, featured a team of soldiers and scientists traveling to the dreaded Skull Island to find the giant prehistoric ape known as Kong. Vogt-Roberts was notably influenced by Vietnam War films such as Apocalypse Now and Platoon, which gave the film a unique style and tone. Writer Vaughan is best known for his graphic novels such as Saga, The Runaways, and the critically acclaimed Y: The Last Man, which is also set to be adapted into a live-action series for FX.
Little is know about the plot details regarding the Gundam movie, but Vogt-Roberts' experience directing Kong: Skull Island makes him a fitting choice, as themes of war and destruction will be heavily prevalent within the film. He's also apparently a big Gundam fan, frequently Tweeting about the franchise.
Legendary Entertainment was one of many voices that expressed criticism over WarnerMedia's cross-platform strategy to release their 2021 films on both HBO Max and in theatres simultaneously. While Netflix usually isn't concerned with theatrical releases, it may be less likely that the streaming giant will pull the rug out from under Legendary's feet, as WarnerMedia did with Godzilla vs. Kong's release. Netflix was reportedly going to buy Godzilla vs. Kong for $200 million, but the deal was blocked by WarnerMedia.
Justice League director Zack Snyder has also recently made the move to Netflix with his new zombie/heist film Army of the Dead. The director famously had a falling out with Warner Bros. over the meddling and mishandling of his DC superhero film. Perhaps even streaming hater Christopher Nolan will make the move to Netflix, since he also had a very public dispute with Warner Bros. over the HBO Max debacle. If the streaming giant can attract other big-name directors like Martin Scorsese and Da 5 Bloods helmer Spike Lee, it seems only inevitable that more directors and production companies will flock towards Netflix, seeking creative freedom and fewer limitations.
Gundam will be released on a yet-to-be-announced date.
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Source: Netflix/Twitter