Sydney Sweeney’s Massive Sci-Fi Blockbuster Is Finally Happening

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 16 seconds ago

Sydney Sweeney is a strange place in Hollywood. She’s a star. People devour every bit of news they can find about her, but she’s still trying to find her footing. The Housemaid was a hit, Euphoria Season 3 finally arrived, but the jury’s out on how it sticks the landing, which means all eyes are on her next major project for Netflix: a live-action Gundam adaptation. After years of rumors, the film has entered production. Sydney Sweeney’s Gundam movie is on the way. 

Sydney Sweeney Overshadows Massive Mecha

It doesn’t matter what the actual name of the movie is, or what part of the long-running franchise is being brought to live-action, because it’s going to be referred to as Sydney Sweeney’s Gundam Movie across social media. Netflix has come out and clarified that this won’t be tied to any specific era or sub-series, so it’s not adapting Gundam Wing, Char’s Counterattack, The Witch From Mercury, G-Gundam, or any of the other fan favorites going back decades. That’s either a smart decision, as nothing could compare to the fan expectations for an adaptation, or an early setup for failure, since there are great stories and characters already out there that may not get used. 

Joining Sydney Sweeney in Sydney Sweeney’s Gundam Movie are Noah Centineo as the male lead, Michael Mando (from Better Call Saul) who’s likely going to play the slightly unhinged psychotic villain, and Jason Isaacs, who’s likely going to play the evil authoritarian figure orchestrating the attack against the Earth/Colonies, depending on which side this version of Gundam wants to paint as the heroes. 

Gundam Fans Have Good Reason To Be Nervous

The basic plot of Sydney Sweeney’s Gundam Movie is again centered on the conflict between the forces of Earth and those of the Space Colonies. Netflix’s brief summary mentions a “high-stakes race across the stars” which could be a hint of a technological discovery, or a rare resource, that both sides want to retrieve. Given Netflix’s recent track record with live-action anime adaptations, with One Piece hitting and Avatar missing, Gundam’s live-action debut could land on either end of the spectrum.

Jim Mickle, who worked with Netflix on bringing the graphic novel Sweet Tooth to life on the platform, will direct the upcoming Gundam film that honestly, as more information is coming out, sounds like it might be closer to the Americanization of Godzilla in 1998 than it is One Piece. Which is a shame, as Gundam is one of the most popular anime in history, and Gundam Wing is widely credited for popularizing the entire medium thanks to its prime spot in Cartoon Network’s Toonami lineup. 

 
Netflix already hosts the Gundam Seed series (the original, Freedom, and Destiny) alongside Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway, and the CG series Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance, which turns the giant mecha into horror monsters. Bringing Gundam to live-action is a no-brainer that countless studios have attempted over the decades. Could this be the film that lets Sydney Sweeney reach a brand-new audience and cements her career? Or will this be another misguided misstep similar to Christie? No matter what happens, you’re going to hear about it.