Mobile Suit Gundam....the movie?

[BrollySupersj]

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-11-28/gundam-movie-domains-listed-under-sony-pictures

As a Gundam fan, I find this very interesting. Gundam's popularity in the US is FAR below the radar, so I don't see how there could be a movie in the works. Quite confusing.

 

[Thundercrack85]

I could see it being a modest blockbuster, in the right hands.

Don't advertise it as a live action anime. Just a movie about giant robots beating the crap out of each other with some sci fi backdrops.

Western audiences do actually seem to be somewhat partial to mecha. It's just not something they get a lot.

 

[James.B]

‘Gundam’ Anime Franchise Getting Live-Action Film Treatment From Legendary
https://deadline.com/2018/07/gundam-live-action-movie-legendary-sunrise-anime-expo-1202422031/

Legendary Pictures has come aboard a live-action film based on Gundam, the popular Mecha anime and sci-fi franchise from Japan’s Sunrise Inc. The two companies will team to produce the first-ever live-action take on the property, and made the announcement at Anime Expo which kicked off today at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The original Gundam series is set in the Universal Century, an era in which humanity’s growing population has led people to emigrate to space colonies. Eventually, the people living in the colonies launch a war of independence against Earth, with the main characters piloting robots known as mobile suits.

Plot details are under wraps. Cale Boyter is overseeing the project on behalf of Legendary along with the Sunrise creative team.

 

[The Big G]

Leo Dicaprio would have made a helluva a char back in the day.

 

[Boy Scout]

There’s almost no chance that this isn’t underwhelming in some crucial way, but I’m intrigued.

 

[Lencho01]

I only ever watched Gundam Wing and G Gundam. I'm interested just to see some Gundam action.

 

[Smilodon]

I always imagined Gundam to be a Game of Thrones style long-form storytelling. The universe and mythology is vast and could benefit from an actual dive into it, rather than just making some 2 hour story.

So yeah, it'll probably be underwhelming.

 

[DACrowe]

Gundam Wing could make a great movie series. Literally Pacific Rim visuals meets Lord of the Rings in terms of stakes and characters.

But do I trust them to pull it off? Not really, but I'll give it a shot!

 

[Loden Greatstorm]

What is all this about?

 

[psylockolussus]

G Gundam was my favorite. I've seen X and Wing as well.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

I have tried to get into Gundam but no version ever grabbed me. A lot about the franchise... I am not sure how to adapt it in any way that will be satisfying to hardcore fans or general audiences. It's a tough nut to crack.

I am actually currently watching Macross in it's original Japanese and while it too has some issues I think when it comes to bringing a mecha property from Japan that it's a better candidate as something that could be palatable to a wider audience without changing it to the point of really off putting the hardcore fans. I mean storywise and character design etc. with Gundam I can't see the more popular recent versions being easy to translate in live action. The original is a bit better but even then as has been pointed out that's still a huge pretty complicated story to boil down into a two hour movie without cutting a lot.

 

[Sithborg]

00 is the one that hooked me. Which shares themes with Wing. I also really enjoyed the first season of Iron Blooded Orphans.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I know I grew up watching a lot of random Gundam, but it was Wing on Toonami that really got me. I went back and watched the original series and its various projects and enjoyed it quite a bit.

I think you could make this work. I could think of more then a few ways. But I doubt it works out.

 

[Boy Scout]

I’ve only seen G Gundam and SEED, myself. I especially loved the latter.

 

[2kt09]

I have tried to get into Gundam but no version ever grabbed me. A lot about the franchise... I am not sure how to adapt it in any way that will be satisfying to hardcore fans or general audiences. It's a tough nut to crack.

I am actually currently watching Macross in it's original Japanese and while it too has some issues I think when it comes to bringing a mecha property from Japan that it's a better candidate as something that could be palatable to a wider audience without changing it to the point of really off putting the hardcore fans. I mean storywise and character design etc. with Gundam I can't see the more popular recent versions being easy to translate in live action. The original is a bit better but even then as has been pointed out that's still a huge pretty complicated story to boil down into a two hour movie without cutting a lot.

Thunderbolt is the most accessible:

• succinct war story
• short animated adaption
• two obsessed pilots going at each other
• who would typically be a villain is the most tear-jerking underdog

Or...Build Fighters

 

[MbJ]

They got Scarjo's number on speed dial...joking. Gundam does have a number of Western/non-Japanese characters, so if there is an anime adaptation they could make without an easily-avoidable controversy, this is the one.

 

[Sithborg]

Frankly, they should just to an original story, with original characters.

Follow the Gundam design aesthetics and have a rival with a mask, and you have 90% of a Gundam story.

 

[The Big G]

I always imagined Gundam to be a Game of Thrones style long-form storytelling. The universe and mythology is vast and could benefit from an actual dive into it, rather than just making some 2 hour story.

So yeah, it'll probably be underwhelming.

Zeta Gundam was GoT with Mechs back in the day,

"KAMILLE IS A BOYS NAME!"

They got Scarjo's number on speed dial...joking. Gundam does have a number of Western/non-Japanese characters, so if there is an anime adaptation they could make without an easily-avoidable controversy, this is the one.

she would make a decent Kycilia Zabi

 

[DaddlerTheDalek]

Gundam movie. Sounds cool to me.

 

[Boom]

Tallgeeeeese.

 

[Lencho01]

So, there's actually already been a live-action Gundam film. It's up on YouTube. I guess it was bad/forgettable.

 

[CFE]

Tough nut to crack? Robot action?

Okay.

First of all, Gundam isn't about robots. It's not "Transformers." They don't have personalities and talk. They're mobile suits...they're fighter jets made anthropomorphic with arms and legs, piloted by people. Yes, they're mechs but they're hardware, they're combat vehicles.

"Mobile Suit Gundam," particularly the Universal Century material, is essentially the Japanese "Star Wars"...Amuro Rey is Luke Skywalker, Newtypes are Jedi, The Earth Federation and Zeon are the Rebel Alliance and the Empire, and instead of X-Wings and TIE Fighters, you have the Gundam taking on Zakus...then Doms...then Gelgoogs, etc.

It's the easiest nut to crack, especially if the intention is to adapt the original 0079/One Year War material. Treat it with the reverence, scale and drama of "Star Wars" and you're practically there.

As far as doing an original story, whether it be UC inspired or Wing inspired, I think it comes down to getting it across to audiences, again, that this isn't like watching Optimus Prime fight Megatron.

The drama is in the human characters and their conflict; the drama of politics and war, elevated into the mobile suit combat.

I think that's something that would not only be visually compelling but easily translatable so long as people aren't under some assumption that the Gundam itself is the main character.

 

[marcvader]

I’m down for this but it better be compelling. On the surface it’ll probably be similar to the Pacific Rim films to those that have no clue what Gundam is and that did poorly.

 

[2kt09]

Damn it. Totally forgot they got to make some excuse up as to why giant robots.

 

[Smilodon]

Zeta Gundam was GoT with Mechs back in the day,

"KAMILLE IS A BOYS NAME!"



she would make a decent Kycilia Zabi

Exactly this. It's operatic, with incredibly rich characters that deserves to be explored. Plus, some of the elements of the stories/characters that have aged could be gracefully updated when you have the time required in TV format. You could never do that in a single movie.

A 10-12 hour ep season could easily cover the One Year War. Another could cover Zeta Gundam as well.