Sydney Sweeney is set to star in the first live-action film based on a major anime franchise, and it’s exactly what Hollywood needs right now. Sydney Sweeney has been making waves in TV and film for nearly a decade as her profile has continued to skyrocket and take her from a supporting character to a leading lady and action star.
After a brief stint in Sony’s Marvel Universe, when she starred in the critically panned Madame Web, it seemed as though Sweeney’s hopes of starring in a sprawling franchise were not to be, but that could all change very soon. Now, Sweeney is set to star in a new live-action adaptation of Gundam, alongside Noah Centineo.
Mobile Suit Gundam Is The Mecha Movie Hollywood Has Been Missing
Mobile Suit Gundam began airing in Japan in 1979, and while the original series was canceled the following year, the franchise has proven itself to have remarkable staying power. Since then, there have been numerous TV spin-offs, films, games, manga, and so much more. But up until now, there hasn’t been a live-action adaptation.
The franchise revolves around intergalactic battles that are largely fought by soldiers in high-tech mobile suits. That may be a vast oversimplification, but fortunately, Hollywood has a lot of material to draw from before taking this thrilling sci-fi action series into a new era.
Pacific Rim Is Still The Benchmark For Hollywood Mecha Movies
While stories about powerful mechas have managed to do extremely well in foreign markets and even on TV to varying degrees, these stories have yet to hit it big in Hollywood. It’s distinct from franchises like the Transformers because these are still human stories, but with powerful upgrades that haven’t been properly explored in Hollywood.
To date, the best version of a story like this is Pacific Rim, and while the 2013 film managed to impress audiences and critics enough to get a sequel made, Pacific Rim Uprising dropped the ball. Gundam has the potential to do a mecha movie right and finally establish it as a category that earns its spot alongside franchises like Godzilla’s Monsterverse.
What Legendary’s Gundam Movie Must Get Right
With Legendary helming the upcoming Gundam project, there is a strong chance that they can take the experiences gained on previous projects like the Monsterverse and adapt them for this film, setting up the potential for a longstanding franchise. However, they need to ensure that the movie delivers a strong story, along with jaw-dropping effects and action, while also staying true to the source material.
Legendary has done miracles in creating realistic fight sequences between monstrous Kaiju, so in theory, it should be less challenging to create towering mobile suits that can battle across space. But, everything stands or falls with how the first movie is perceived, which means the future of Gundam on the big screen is riding on Sydney Sweeney’s shoulders.