Noah Centineo is in negotiations to join Legendary’s live-action Gundam feature, a move that would place him opposite Sydney Sweeney in what is shaping up to be the studio’s next big anime adaptation. TheWrap first reported Centineo’s talks on November 22, with other trade coverage describing the role as a major co-lead if a deal closes.
The film is being written and directed by Jim Mickle, the filmmaker behind Sweet Tooth, after Legendary and Bandai Namco Filmworks reset the project last year. Mickle came aboard in late 2024 following the departure of a previous director, and the companies have kept story details tightly under wraps. In early 2025, Bandai Namco confirmed full co-financing with Legendary and said the movie will receive a theatrical release rather than the streaming rollout once considered, signaling confidence in its global reach.
Gundam is one of Japan’s most durable sci-fi franchises, launched in 1979 and built around sprawling space conflicts fought with “mobile suits,” giant piloted machines. Its mix of military drama and character-driven stakes has produced dozens of series and films, plus a long-running model-kit business that keeps the brand culturally present across generations. Attempts to translate that scale into live action have been rare, so the new movie carries high expectations from longtime fans who want faithful design work and grounded war storytelling, while newcomers will likely judge it on spectacle and character clarity.
For Centineo, Gundam would extend his run in studio franchise work. He recently wrapped Legendary’s Street Fighter reboot, due in 2026, and is attached to other action-leaning projects, making him a natural fit for a large-scale sci-fi property. Casting momentum around Sweeney and Centineo suggests the production is moving from development toward a concrete start date, even as plot specifics remain unannounced.
