After showing up recently in the “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” trailer as the baddie Scorpion, Canadian actor Michael Mando (“Better Call Saul”) has secured another VFX-heavy IP project by securing a part in Legendary‘s live-action “Gundam” movie based on the long-running anime franchise, with “Sweet Tooth” showrunner Jim Mickle writing/directing the sci-fi actioner.
The feature film is set to debut on Netflix as one of their streaming originals, and the casting update from Deadline reminds us that Mando joins a cast that already features Sydney Sweeney (“The Housemaid’s Secret”), Noah Centineo (“John Rambo”), and Jason Clarke (“A Quiet Place Part III”) as production is set to begin next month in Australia.
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If you’re not familiar with the beloved mobile suit franchise, debuting back in 1979, it focuses on a group of humans that use these military robots piloted by skilled humans to fight a war across the stars and on various off-world colonies between two factions. The IP is said to still pull in a massive $600 million a year in revenue from a multitude of products, including mega-popular model kits that collectors seek out on a regular basis, which is quite impressive.
Legendary, of course, is no stranger to bigger-than-life franchises, being behind the MonsterVerse and working closely with Denis Villeneuve on “Dune: Part Three” coming in December. We have to imagine that Netflix may see this new “Gundam” film as a possible franchise starter, given the property’s global awareness and fanbase; audiences will likely be the final word on that front.
Mickle came on “Gundam” to replace former director Jordan Vogt-Roberts (“Kong: Skull Island”), who was also tasked by Sony Pictures to develop a “Metal Gear Solid” film that had Oscar Isaac attached as Snake before the video game film was dropped into limbo.
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