Netflix is moving its live-action anime plans into a new phase. The streaming platform’s upcoming Gundam movie, led by Sydney Sweeney and Noah Centineo, has finished filming and is scheduled to arrive in 2027. The project marks a shift in how Netflix handles its biggest anime franchises, moving from serialized television to feature-length films. This change follows the strong performance of Netflix’s live-action One Piece series, which returned for its second season in March 2026.
Gundam Movie Wraps Filming in Australia
Principal photography on the live-action Gundam film finished in late July 2026. The shoot took place over roughly three months in Queensland, Australia, with production based at Village Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast. Additional filming happened in Brisbane and Toowoomba.
The production employed more than 350 local cast and crew members and contributed an estimated $110 million to the Queensland economy, according to the production. The project was filmed under the working title Teardrop. A wrap party for cast and crew took place in mid-July.
The film has been in development in various forms since 2018. Netflix became officially involved with the project in 2021. Jordan Vogt-Roberts was originally attached as director before Jim Mickle took over. This is the first big-budget live-action feature in the Gundam franchise’s history.
Cast and Crew Behind Netflix’s Gundam
Sydney Sweeney and Noah Centineo lead an 11-member ensemble as rival mech pilots on opposite sides of a decades-long interplanetary conflict. Both actors also serve as producers on the film.
The supporting cast includes Jason Isaacs, Shioli Kutsuna, Nonso Anozie, Michael Mando, Jackson White, Javon “Wanna” Walton, Oleksandr Rudynskyi, Ida Brooke, and Gemma Chua-Tran.
Jim Mickle, known for Netflix’s Sweet Tooth, wrote the script and directs. The film is produced by Legendary Pictures in partnership with Bandai Namco Filmworks, the studio behind the original Gundam anime. Netflix will distribute the movie worldwide.
Story Set in Universal Century Timeline
Noah Centineo confirmed during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that the film takes place within the Universal Century timeline, the foundational setting for many classic Gundam stories. He described the movie as a “big action-romance space movie” and compared its central dynamic to “a non-Shakespearean Romeo and Juliet in space.”
Netflix’s official description reads:
“As shifting allegiances and a growing threat set them on a collision course for one another, they’re pulled into a high-stakes race across the stars that could define the fate of humanity.”
The story follows mech pilots fighting on opposite sides of a war between Earth and its former space colonies. The Romeo and Juliet-style setup places Sweeney and Centineo as star-crossed rivals caught between opposing allegiances. Centineo also praised Sweeney’s work on set, calling her “brilliant” and saying he wants to work with her again.
How One Piece Changed Netflix’s Anime Plans
Netflix’s live-action One Piece series, based on Eiichiro Oda’s manga, arrived in 2023 and became a big success for the platform. Season 2, titled One Piece: Into the Grand Line, premiered on March 10, 2026. All eight episodes were released at once.
Season 2 debuted at No. 1 on Netflix’s English TV list with 16.8 million views in its first four days, according to Netflix’s Top 10 data. The season accumulated over 226 million hours viewed. While these numbers were slightly below Season 1’s opening of 18.5 million views, One Piece remains one of Netflix’s biggest live-action anime adaptations.
The Gundam movie represents a different approach. One Piece is a serialized TV series, while Gundam is a feature film with a budget of at least $110 million. This is the first big-budget live-action feature in the Gundam franchise’s history. The shift signals that Netflix is willing to invest in feature-length projects for flagship anime properties, not just episodic series. One Piece traces its roots to a manga, while Gundam is originally an anime creation, which makes the adaptation a different kind of challenge.
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Gundam’s 50th Anniversary and Global Release Plans
The live-action Gundam film is part of a larger push for the franchise. Mobile Suit Gundam celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2027. A large event called GUNDAM-Con is scheduled for January 9-11, 2027, at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.
Netflix has not announced an official release date for the film, but it is expected to arrive on the platform sometime in 2027. The film will be available globally on Netflix, including in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India, and other regions where the service operates. The movie will not have a theatrical release and will stream exclusively on Netflix.
A new animated series, Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO, is also scheduled for release in 2027, along with a game titled Gundam Rogue Orbit set in the same universe. For Netflix, the live-action Gundam movie is the centerpiece of a broader strategy to become the main global home for the franchise.
Stay tuned to VvipTimes for more updates on Netflix’s live-action anime adaptations and the latest entertainment news.
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