Legendary and Sunrise are collaborating on a live-action film version of Sunrise’s “Gundam” giant robot franchise.
The movie was announced by the companies on Thursday at the Anime Expo in Los Angeles. The property was created in 1979 and encompasses televised anime, manga, animated films, video games, toys, and novels. The companies said in the announcement that Gundam goods dominate master toy licensee Bandai Namco’s earnings almost 40 years after its inception.
The original “Gundam” series was set in an era in which humanity’s growing population has led people to emigrate to space colonies. Eventually, those living in colonies seek autonomy, and launch a war of independence against the people living on Earth.
The project will be overseen by Cale Boyter on behalf of Legendary with the Sunrise creative team. No actors, writers, or directors are on board yet.
Legendary announced on June 28 that it had closed a $1 billion revolving credit facility led by J.P. Morgan.
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Legendary’s “Skyscraper,” starring Dwayne Johnson, hits theaters on July 13. The company is also in post-production on “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and “Detective Pikachu.” It’s co-financing “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” and the upcoming films “Mortal Engines,” “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” and “BlacKkKlansman.” Legendary also announced last week that it was developing a film based on Marguerite Bennett’s dystopian comic series “Animosity.”
