Entertainment
Sydney Sweeney’s New Sci-Fi Remake Officially Scores a Major Update at Netflix
Netflix recently updated its all-time streaming rankings, and the latest figures show the platform is enjoying another blockbuster year. At least three of the streamer’s 2026 releases have now secured spots on its prestigious all-time viewership chart, including Jon Bernthal‘s His & Hers, Alan Ritchson‘s War Machine, and the family fantasy Swapped. Harlan Coben‘s I Will Find You also appears well on its way to joining them, with the twist-filled thriller continuing to attract audiences weeks after its premiere. With several high-profile originals still on the way, Netflix’s all-time rankings are likely to welcome even more additions before the year is over. Among the biggest contenders is one of the streamer’s most anticipated upcoming movies, which has just taken a major step toward its release.
Science fiction has proven to be one of Netflix’s most successful and globally resonant genres across series and movies, as proven by titles such as The Adam Project, Don’t Look Up, and 3 Body Problem. In hopes of scoring another major success in the genre, the streamer turned to one of Japan’s most iconic franchises, acquiring the rights to Gundam in 2021. Several years later, Netflix officially announced the franchise’s first live-action adaptation, based on the beloved Mobile Suit Gundam series. Set against the backdrop of a war between Earth and its space colonies, the story centers on rival factions battling for supremacy using towering, heavily armed mobile suits in some of science fiction’s most spectacular mechanized combat.
The film is intended to tell a standalone story designed to welcome newcomers while still appealing to longtime fans. Sydney Sweeney and Noah Centineo lead the cast as rival pilots drawn into a high-stakes conflict that could determine humanity’s future. Netflix has teased a Gundam experience unlike anything audiences have seen before, promising breathtaking mech battles, emotionally driven storytelling, and blockbuster-scale spectacle. Production began in April at Village Roadshow Studios on Australia’s Gold Coast, with additional location shooting in Brisbane and Toowoomba, Queensland. Now, four months later, the film has officially wrapped production, with photos from the cast’s wrap party beginning to surface across social media.
When Will Gundam Release?
With a reported budget of at least $100 million, Gundam is shaping up to be one of Netflix’s biggest sci-fi productions. Now that filming has wrapped, the project enters post-production, where much of the visual effects work needed to bring its towering mobile suits and large-scale battles to life will take place. The film is directed by Jim Mickle (Sweet Tooth), who has said the adaptation will honor the iconic elements of the original anime while introducing fresh ideas of its own.
Netflix has yet to announce an official release date, although industry speculation points to a possible 2027 debut. Alongside Sweeney and Centineo, the film features a supporting cast that includes Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool & Wolverine), Jason Isaacs (The White Lotus), Nonso Anozie (Sweet Tooth), Michael Mando (Better Call Saul), and Ida Brooke (Dune: Part Three). Their roles remain under wraps for now, but with production complete, Netflix will naturally begin sharing more details as the film moves closer to release. Newcomers looking to familiarize themselves with the franchise can stream several Gundam animated titles on Netflix. Stay tuned for future updates.
- Release Date
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June 11, 2021
- Runtime
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95 Minutes
- Director
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Hidekazu Hara, Kô Matsuo, Shuko Murase, Mitsuhiro Yoneda, Sankaku
- Writers
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Yoshiyuki Tomino, Yasuyuki Muto, Hajime Yatate
- Producers
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Makoto Asanuma, Satoshi Kawano, Hisakazu Naka, Naohiro Ogata
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Kensho Ono
Hathaway Noa (voice)
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Reina Ueda
Gigi Andalucia (voice)
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Junichi Suwabe
Kenneth Sleg (voice)
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Soma Saito
Lane Aim (voice)
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