Noah Centineo In Talks to Join Sydney Sweeney in Live Action Film Adaptation of 'Gundam' Anime

The Recruit and To All the Boys I've Loved Before star Noah Centineo is reportedly in negotiations to join the cast of the live-action Gundam movie.

Co-developed by Legendary Pictures, the Bandai Namco-owned intellectual property (IP) is getting a Hollywood film adaptation, with Christy star Sydney Sweeney already in final negotiations to join the project, as previously reported by Deadline. The film will be the first-ever live-action entry in the 36-year-old Japanese animation franchise.

Sweet Tooth Showrunner at the Helm

Jim Mickle, who created Netflix's adaptation of Sweet Tooth, is set to direct and write the 'mecha' movie. He will also produce the project through his production company, Nightshade, alongside his partner Linda Moran.

Mickle made his feature-film directorial debut in 2006 with Mulberry St, a sci-fi horror film about a deadly infection that breaks out in Manhattan, New York, transforming people into ravenous rat-like creatures.

Before Mickle signed on to the Gundam film, Legendary initially announced its development in 2021 with Netflix, with Jordan Vogt-Roberts attached to direct. Vogt-Roberts previously directed Legendary's Kong: Skull Island, which was released in 2017.

Centineo's Current and Future Projects

Noah Centineo currently has several projects lined up, one of them being Legendary's live-action adaptation of the Street Fighter video-game franchise. The film, titled Street Fighter, has wrapped production and is slated for a 16 October 2026 premiere, with Paramount set to distribute.

He has also been cast in Lionsgate's Rambo prequel, which is targeting an early 2026 production start. Centineo will also appear in Iconoclast, the directorial debut of The Night Agent star Gabriel Basso, alongside Rain Spencer, Courtney Eaton and Basso himself.

Before Street Fighter, Centineo starred in A24's true-story action feature Warfare with fellow Netflix alums Joseph Quinn and Kit Connor, as well as Shogun star Cosmo Jarvis and Guardians of the Galaxy actor Will Poulter.

The addition of another potential blockbuster to his resumé is expected to further boost his already rising career.

What Is Known About Gundam So Far

The plot for the live-action sci-fi film remains under wraps, but sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Sweeney is 'very much involved' in the casting for characters opposite hers. The story will reportedly centre on her character and a male lead who form a connection amid an ongoing war between their planets.

Legendary was also eyeing Queer star Drew Starkey for the male lead, but talks reportedly did not progress.

The Gundam Franchise

Gundam is an anime franchise about giant fighting robots, created by Yoshiyuki Tomino, that first aired in Japan in 1979 and became a pioneer of the mecha subgenre. Since then, it has expanded into 83 animated series and films.

Combined with its merchandising empire, the long-running franchise earns more than £458 million ($600 million) annually.

The anime is set in the Universal Century, where humanity has colonised space. A rebellion erupts between Earth and one of its colonies, fought by soldiers who pilot massive mechanised contraptions known as 'mobile suits'.

Themes explored in Gundam include war, politics and the use of genetic advancements to weaponise the military.