Alan Ritchson and Sydney Sweeney star in two of the most ambitious upcoming sci-fi movies on Netflix. With the two powerhouses as the leads in the new sci-fi projects, it is hard not to see how Netflix is inching closer towards a whole new sci-fi era.
When it comes to sci-fi movies, Netflix does not have a very impressive record. Some of its sci-fi movies, like The Adam Project, have been commercial hits but struggled to impress critics. Meanwhile, others, like They Cloned Tyrone, have earned immense critical acclaim but remain largely obscure. With two upcoming projects, however, Netflix could significantly level up its sci-fi game.
In 2026, Alan Ritchson starred in Netflix’s War Machine, which performed so well that its sequel is already in the works. The movie even drew comparisons to hit sci-fi flicks like Transformers and Predator. Interestingly, Ritchson isn’t the only one leading a mecha sci-fi franchise on Netflix. Sydney Sweeney, too, has been cast as one of the main characters in Netflix’s upcoming take on Gundam.
Alan Ritchson’s War Machine & Sydney Sweeney’s Gundam Give Netflix 2 New Sci-Fi Franchises
Directed by Patrick Hughes, War Machine features Alan Ritchson as an elite member of a US Army Ranger selection squad. The character and his team face a deadly alien machine that crash lands on Earth during their final day of training. This is when Ritchson’s character is forced to turn himself into a war machine to overpower the alien war machine.
Despite its mixed critical reception, War Machine became a massive hit, earning over 140 million views on Netflix and landing among the most-watched movies on the streaming service. Owing to its success, the movie is now being expanded into a full-fledged franchise with Alan Ritchson as the main lead.
Like Alan Ritchson, Sydney Sweeney is set to headline a mecha movie soon. However, the movie, Gundam, she stars in is based on a massive, well-established Japanese science fiction media franchise. Directed and written by Jim Mickle, of the Sweet Tooth fame, the upcoming Gundam movie will have Sydney Sweeney and Noah Centineo as its leads.
Its supporting cast features Michael Mando, Jason Isaacs, Shioli Kutsuna, Jackson White, and Nonso Anozie.
Instead of retelling the stories of the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime, the movie will follow an original story that follows the Gundam mythos. It will follow the rivalry between mech pilots on the opposing sides of a long-standing war between Earth and its former space colonies.
Will War Machine 2 & Gundam Be Able To Compete Against Theatrical Franchises?
Considering how the first War Machine movie amassed over 140 million viewers after its premiere, it already seems to have achieved feats that only a few theatrical movies are able to touch. While War Machine is being compared with movies like Predator, its portrayal of mecha aliens and a super soldier reminds one of Transformers and G.I. Joe.
After dominating the box office for quite some time, the live-action franchises of both Transformers and G.I. Joe have seemingly lost steam. Perhaps War Machine could fill their void in steaming with its explosive action and military sci-fi.
A huge spectacle IP like Gundam has even more potential to give theatrical movies like Transformers a run for their money. However, considering how Gundam already has an established audience like Transformers, it could have benefited from a theatrical release first before moving to streaming.
Netflix seems to be investing big in both upcoming projects, which also makes sense given how heavily spectacle-driven both are. Their direct streaming release still trades away the traditional “event movie” prestige enjoyed by movies that land on the big screens.
However, the Sydney Sweeney and Alan Ritchson movies on Netflix will still get massive streaming reach, which can turn them into global events in their own right.
