Gundam franchise announces a prequel and more

Modified Nov 01, 2024 21:10 GMT

Gundam franchise announces a prequel and more (Image via Bandai Namco Filmworks)

Friday, November 1, 2024 saw Sunrise Studios announce a new prequel project titled Mobile Suit Gundam Seed FREEDOM ZERO, also called SEED FREEDOM ZERO for short. Sunrise Studios shared a key visual featuring the title logo, but as of the writing of this article, there is no confirmed information on what the project is and when it will be released.

This news comes shortly after the announcement of a new live-action Gundam film’s production, which will be written and directed by Jim Mickle. Mickle is producing the film with partner Linda Moran through their nightshade company. Production is currently aiming to start in early 2025. This is the same project that was first announced at the Anime Expo in July 2018 and has since been through many tumultuous developmental updates.

Gundam franchise set to begin work on two major projects starting in 2025

Expand Tweet

In attendance at the Mobile Suit Gundam Seed FREEDOM screening on Friday were director Mitsuo Fukuda, producer Hisakazu Naka, and Soichiro Hoshi, voice of Kira Yamato. They revealed that screenwriter Chiaki Morosawa and Shigeru Morita wrote the scenario for SEED FREEDOM ZERO while working on the original film. Fukuda also claimed the script for the project was finished 20 years ago.

It was also revealed that the storyboards were nearly half finished, and that the oldest among them predated the Seed FREEDOM film. It was also revealed that the SEED FREEDOM ZERO project was originally planned as an original video anime (OVA). However, the staff is unsure of how it will be presented now, suggesting a move away from this original vision. This likewise may cause further delays to the project’s release window, which is currently unknown.

Expand Tweet

There’s no other significant news on the live-action film adaptation beyond what’s discussed above. However, it’s possible that Mickle and partner Moran eventually leave the project when considering its history. After the project was initially announced in July 2018, Jordan Vogt-Roberts was announced as the director and executive producer of the film. Comic book author Brian K. Vaughan was slated to also serve as an executive producer and scriptwriter.

Makoto Atsuma was previously credited as an executive producer, with Mary Parent, Legendary Entertainment’s Cale Boyter, and Sunrise Studios' Naohiroshi Ogata listed to produce. Netflix was previously announced to stream films worldwide, sharing concept art alongside the announcement in November 2021. While Mickle has replaced Vaughan and Vogt-Roberts in writing and directorial roles, there’s no other information on current staff for the film project at this time.

The larger franchise began in April 1979 with the release of the Mobile Suit Gundam original television anime series from Sunrise Studios, then called Nippon Sunrise. It’s credited with defining the “real robot” mecha anime genre and has spawned a franchise including 50 TV series, films, OVAs, manga, novels, video games, and Gunpla plastic model kits.