Live-action anime adaptations are becoming a hot ticket item in the medium these days. Examples like One Piece and Avatar: The Last Airbender have already made big waves on Netflix, with properties such as Mobile Suit: Gundam, My Hero Academia, Naruto, and many more preparing to join the Straw Hats and the Benders. One new project has recently been announced that might throw you for a loop as Bakugan is aiming to join in on the fun of live-action anime adaptations. Not only has the upcoming project been announced for North America, a well-known director has been assigned to bring the wild anime game to life.
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For those who might be unfamiliar with Bakugan, the franchise exists on a similar plane as the likes of Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh. Rather than simply giving anime fans an anime series to sink their teeth into, Bakugan functions something like a combination between Duel Monsters and Beyblade as players vie for supremacy with character cards and other collectables. The first anime series, Bakugan Battle Brawlers, debuted in Japan in 2007 and the franchise wasted little time in creating additional seasons. Most recently, Bakugan saw a resurgence thanks to a new anime dropping in 2023 and it’s clear that the company Spin Master Corp. is going all-in on the series.
[RELATED: New Bakugan Anime Announced for Netflix]
The Live-Action Bakugan Is Coming
The upcoming live-action movie will be directed by Brad Peyton, who fans might know for some of his previous works including Atlas, Rampage, San Andreas, and more. With the announcement, Peyton released a statement to the outlet Deadline regarding the upcoming movie, “Bakugan is ready for the film treatment, and I’m thrilled to be the one to bring it to the big screen for the very first time. With Lindsay and the Spin Master team alongside me, we’re excited to build a hit franchise with global appeal. I am confident we will create a must-see film event that does justice to the unique and epic world that is Bakugan.”
On the other side of the aisle, Spin Master Entertainment’s President Jennifer Dodge shared the following when it came to the upcoming live-action anime adaptation, “Bakugan is a global franchise with a multi-generational and devoted fanbase, built on the strength of its compelling characters and explosive battles. As fans who were part of its initial craze now enter adulthood, we are thrilled to be working with accomplished filmmaking talent like Brad to reimagine Bakugan in live action, expanding the franchise for fans while introducing it to new audiences around the world.”
Bakugan Details
No release date and/or casting news have been revealed so far, though Spin Master certainly has more than enough material to pull from to make this live-action film work. Spread across three-hundred anime episodes with various storylines, it will be interesting to see what this North American film ultimately looks like.
Want to see what other live-action anime adaptations are coming down the pike? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest on Bakugan and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime or leave us a comment!
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