‘Beyblade’ Live-Action Movie in the Works at Paramount With Jerry Bruckheimer
Look out, Transformers, there’s a new toy-inspired film franchise on its way. A new report has revealed that Jerry Bruckheimer is working with Paramount to develop a live-action Beyblade movie inspired by the Japanese spinning top toy line of the same name. Here’s what we know so far.
Beyblade toys launched in Japan in 1999
The Beyblade toy line dates back to 1999 when developer Takara released the toys in Japan. The idea of the game is for players to launch the Beyblade spinning tops into an area, often called a Beystadium, and attempt to knock each other out or stop the opponent’s spin. Various rules can affect the game, such as one player having only three Beyblades to choose from for battle.
The Beyblade line became very popular in the years following its initial release. Hasbro became licensed to sell Beyblade toys in 2002, bringing the products to the west. A few Beyblade toy reincarnations have launched since, including Beyblade Burst.
Jerry Bruckheimer and Paramount are developing a live-action ‘Beyblade’ movie
Deadline revealed that Bruckheimer, who has worked on films like Pirates of the Caribbean and National Treasure, recently signed on to produce a Beyblade movie for Paramount. Neil Widener and Gavin James are writing the script, but they have not yet revealed any plot details.
Plans for a Beyblade film date back to 2015, although the project hasn’t seen any developments until now. Deadline predicts that Paramount could explore an entire Beyblade franchise, given the popularity of the toys. It’s worth noting that Paramount also distributed the hit film Bumblebee, based on the Transformers toys and franchise.
According to Deadline, Bruckheimer currently has a few projects in the works at Paramount. The studio will soon release Top Gun: Maverick this summer. Meanwhile, he’s working on the Owen Wilson film Secret Headquarters and a TV adaptation of American Gigolo.
A ‘Beyblade’ manga series and anime film followed the toy line in the early 2000s
The upcoming Beyblade film marks the franchise’s first live-action venture, but not the first adaptation of the toys. An accompanying manga series of the same name launched alongside the original toys in Japan, as well as an anime series. Both followed a group of players participating in a Beyblade tournament.
Two anime sequels called Beyblade V-Force and Beyblade G-Revolution launched a few years later. Finally, an anime film called Beyblade: Fierce Battle launched in 2002, offering an alternate version of the anime series’ story. It’s possible the live-action version will take a similar approach and tell the story of a tournament.
The live-action Beyblade movie does not yet have a release date. Stay tuned to Showbiz Cheat Sheet for more updates.
