Six months ago, industry scooper Jeff Sneider of TheInSneider revealed that Legendary Pictures had offered Sydney Sweeney (Anyone But You) a $7 million payday to play the female lead in their live-action Gundam movie. Now, Sneider reports that Sweeney might be joined in the cast by Grammy-nominated singer Benson Boone.
Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise, Gundam has been described as a space opera depicting a battle waged between massive mechs and armies of space colonies fighting for independence from Earth. The Gundam franchise has grown into a juggernaut over the decades, with dozens of TV shows, video games, manga, and much more.
Sweet Tooth showrunner Jim Mickle has been tapped to write and direct the live-action adaptation of Gundam, which is being co-developed by Legendary and Bandai Namco Filmworks. In addition to Sweet Tooth, Mickle is also known for Stake Land, the post-apocalyptic vampire movie which has become a cult favorite, We Are What We Are, Cold in July, and In the Shadow of the Moon. He also developed the Joe R. Lansdale-inspired Hap and Leonard TV series, which was sadly canceled after three seasons. Mickle is producing the film alongside Linda Moran through their company Nightshade.
This project has been in the works since 2021, when it was announced that Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kong: Skull Island) was working on a Gundam movie for Legendary and Netflix, and he seemed quite pumped about the project. Some concept art was even released showcasing one of the giant mechs, but Vogt-Roberts and Netflix cut ties and jettisoned the project. Legendary continued pushing it forward and turned to Mickle to take the helm.
There’s no word on who Benson Boone (or Sydney Sweeney) might be playing in Gundam movie, but “multiple sources” are telling Sneider that Boone is in talks to make his feature acting debut in the film. Boone songs have previously been featured in Twisters and Karate Kid: Legends, among other films and TV shows.
Are you interested in seeing Benson Boone make his acting debut in the Gundam movie? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
