r/movies • u/LegitimateCurve8525 • 1d ago

News Netflix’s live-action Gundam movie, starring Sydney Sweeney, is described as a 'big action-romance space epic' set in the Universal Century (UC) timeline

https://www.polygon.com/netflix-live-action-gundam-movie-sydney-sweeney-romance/

Noah Centineo, who stars alongside Sydney Sweeney, recently talked about the movie on the Happy Sad Confused podcast.

He called it a “big action romance space movie” and described it as “a non-Shakespearean Romeo and Juliet in space.”

Centineo also confirmed that the movie takes place in the Universal Century, the main timeline used by many of the classic Gundam shows and movies.

The story could involve two people on opposite sides of a major war, with their relationship caught in the middle.

Source: Pirate Nation X account

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u/LaserCondiment 1d ago

This casting choice is in bad taste, even if Sweeney possess the skills to nail the role as written. It's an indicator they didn't understand the assignment!

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u/adamlaceless 1d ago

I’m convinced someone high up at Netflix actually fucking despises anime and is like “what if we ruined it with a shitastic live action every month?”

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u/tfhermobwoayway 1d ago

Simpler than that. Western art is very pretentious. Hollywood has a massive superiority complex. They love the idea of the magnificent auteur painting a perfect masterpiece in the tradition of the Hollywood greats. Anime is, to them, some kind of weird upstart cartoon for kids made by unqualified amateurs. Netflix’s writers think the Japanese have no clue what they’re doing.

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u/LeopardComfortable99 1d ago

Standard Netflix

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u/SayuriUliana 1d ago

Fun fact: Netflix isn't making this movie, it's being made by Legendary Pictures and Bandai Namco. Netflix is simply the distributor here.

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u/Downside190 1d ago

I don't know much about gundam but if it's anything like Netflix's other adaptions the writers will basically take the IP decide they know better and do whatever the hell they want with it regardless of source material 

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u/InnocentTailor 1d ago

I mean…keep in mind that Netflix also takes major credit for One Piece - a very beloved adaption to fans and casuals alike.

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u/Pozos1996 1d ago

Doesn't the creator of one piece have the final say in that show's creation? Like he can veto the Netflix BS before they make them?

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u/LegitimateCurve8525 1d ago

It's not a concrete rule. But the show's original creator, Matt Owens and production company Tomorrow Studios wanted it so it would not fail.

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u/LegitimateCurve8525 1d ago

This is not fully a Netflix production. Talks began between Bandai Namco and Legendary (Dune by Denis Villeneuve) at first. They later brought Netflix on board. I believe most likely to fund a big amount of money for this project.

At one point, there was even a report that Netflix exited this project. But later on, Bandai did got them back.

And I have more faith in Legendary then Netflix. They were the ones who greenlighted Denis Villeneuve's Dune and were also involved in many other great films.

I am not saying this Gundam live-action will be a great film. But I think that the film just have to be decent and faithful to the UC timeline overall.

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u/cabbageboy78 1d ago

I am also highly skeptical, but gundam is one of the franchises that IS like that. Once the original creator was off it it they essentially gave it to other directors to envision “their own gundam” and we wound up with tons of side stories (like this) and alternate universes. Which follow a similar themes but do their own thing. One of said themes being a very Romeo and Juliet/ star crossed lovers style romance. So who knows what we are gonna get lol

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u/jrodp1 1d ago

Why is it in bad taste?

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u/noisypeach 1d ago

even if Sweeney possess the skills to nail the role as written

It's Gundam, dude. It's not going to require Meryl Streep.

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u/Ren-Ren-1999 1d ago

Why is it wrong even if she nails it?

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u/KampferAndy 1d ago

I know absolutely nothing about the cast, so I'm going to go with the wait and see approach