Variety and The InSneider report that popular actress Sydney Sweeney is in final talks to star in the live-action Gundam film, written and directed by Sweet Tooth‘s Jim Mickle. Sweeney is well-known for her roles in Euphoria and The White Lotus, and recently starred and executive produced Anyone but You, grossing over $200 million against a reported $25 million budget.
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Variety adds that Legendary Entertainment declined to comment on Sweeney’s casting. Legendary is developing the live-action Gundam in collaboration with Bandai Namco Filmworks (BNF), a subsidiary of the Bandai Namco Group. The pair will release the film worldwide. Following the film’s formal announcement on February 5, BNF announced the formation of BNF America (BNFA), set to be finalized on April 1, and whose role will include the promotion of the Gundam film and the expansion of Gundam‘s licensing and brand expansion overseas.
Regarding Gundam‘s overseas expansion, Chief Gundam Officer Hiroshi Sakakibara highlighted in an interview with Nikkei how the U.S. was a major market for the franchise. He cited how Bandai needed to ramp up Gunpla production to meet demand and plans to open more overseas retail stores and expand into food and apparel.
The first Gundam media premiered in 1979 with the critically acclaimed Mobile Suit Gundam TV anime series. Gundam is one of Japan’s most successful IP businesses, spawning games, movies, and merchandise, particularly the Gunpla plastic model kits. Crunchyroll licensed the first anime series, streaming it in English subbed and dubbed. It’s described:
Universal Century 0079. The rebel space colonies of the Principality of Zeon launch a war of independence against the Earth Federation, using humanoid fighting vehicles called mobile suits to overwhelm the Federation Forces and conquer half of Earth’s surface. Months later, the Federation has finally developed its own prototype mobile suits at a remote space colony.
But when the colony suffers a Zeon surprise attack, these new weapons fall into the hands of a motley crew of civilians and cadets. Fate places a youth named Amuro Ray at the controls of the white mobile suit Gundam…
Source: Variety, The InSneider
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