The Gundam franchise recently shared with anime fans that Bandai Namco expects to release numerous projects that will honor the franchise to celebrate not only Gundam’s 45th anniversary but also its 50th. Hot on the heels of this announcement, Bandai Namco Filmworks has confirmed that the company is aiming to revisit one of their most popular universes. With Mobile Suit Gundam: Seed Freedom the most popular and most successful movie of the franchise, the anime producers have confirmed that a new project is in the works to take us back to this story. You might be surprised at just what, and where, this story is.
For those who might need a refresher on the Gundam Seed series, it first began as a television show in 2002. Warranting fifty episodes for its initial run, a sequel was created in record time in 2004 thanks to Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny. The sequel also ran for fifty episodes, eventually paving the way for the recent movie, Mobile Suit Gundam: Seed Freedom. Unlike the conflict featuring the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon, Seed took the chance to explore a brand new story under the “Cosmic Era.” On one side of the aisle are Earth-dwelling humans known as “Naturals” while on the other, “Coordinators” are genetically altered beings. With Gundams dropped into this way, Seed has made its way to the top of the Gundam charts.
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Mobile Suit Gundam: Seed Freedom Zero is Coming
In a new social media post, the Gundam franchise confirmed that a new anime project was in the works which will be titled “Mobile Suit Gundam: Seed Freedom Zero.” While the project’s release date hasn’t been confirmed, it has confirmed that Mitsuo Fukuda will be returning to directing duties. One of the most shocking surprises is that not only will the project take place prior to the events of Seed Freedom, but Zero’s script was actually written twenty years ago. Clearly, this project is one that has been in the works for quite some time.
Considering just how much money Gundam Seed Freedom brought in thanks to its theatrical run, this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise for anime fans. The Cosmic Era is a big-ticket item in the mech franchise and it might be a safe bet that we’ll see far more anime projects to celebrate the series as a whole.
Gundam’s Bright Future
The Cosmic Era is far from the only place that fans can expect to see Gundams make landfall in the future. In most recent news, Netflix confirmed that the upcoming Gundam live-action movie was still in the works, though it would be helmed by a new director. Originally, Jordan Vogt Roberts (Kong: Skull Island) was confirmed to direct but new director Jim Mickle will be taking the reins. If you’re unfamiliar with Mickle’s resume, the director has worked on the likes of horror movies Stake Land and We Are What We Are. The Gundam director recently worked with Netflix directly thanks to the television series, Sweet Tooth. No release date has been confirmed for the upcoming live-action adaptation.
On the anime front, Netflix recently released the series Gundam: Requiem For Vengeance, which used CG animation to tell a brand new story within the universe that started it all. Focusing protagonists that fight for Zeon, protagonist Amuro is seen as a terrifying threat and the show almost comes across as a horror series.
Want to stay updated on the upcoming return to the Seed universe? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on all things Gundam and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
