Having turned Hasbro’s Transformers toyline into a multi-billion dollar franchise (and trying their hardest with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Paramount are now turning their attention to Beyblade.
Deadline are reporting that the studio has acquired the rights to produce a live-action version of the toy and accompanying cartoon series. The film will be produced by Mary Parent through her Disruption Entertainment banner.
Beyblade first burst onto the scene in 1999 but made an impact with an animated TV series in 2001. They were essentially customisable toys modeled after Japanese fighting tops and were developed by Takaratomy, the creator of Transformers. With multiple TV shows, animated feature movies and video games, the Beyblade franchise has generated $2.5 billion in revenue.
No word yet on directors or writers for the project – or even a proposed release date. However, with a new generation of Beyblade toys set to hit stands in 2017, one would expect to see the film be released around the same sort of time.
Originally published May 28, 2015. Updated April 13, 2018.
