Deadline are reporting that Paramount – the studio behind the Transformers movies, and Jerry Bruckheimer – the producer of many movie and TV franchises including Pirates of the Caribbean, are teaming up to take on best-selling toy Beyblade. They will be hoping to spin the tops into big box office success.
Beyblades were a type of spinning top first introduced in Japan in 1999, alongside an accompanying manga series of the same name. Beyblades were licensed by Hasbro and the anime TV series was shown internationally in the early 2000s. There was also Beyblade: The Movie in 2002.
The show and movies follow a team called the Bladebreakers in their journey to become world Beyblade champions. The concept of people conducting Beyblade battles and tournaments in Beystadiums was intended so they could rival the success of Pokémon. Not much is yet known about the new adaptation, but it is intended as a live-action series. From the sound of these battle arenas, the new movies could be in the vein of Pacific Rim or Real Steel.
Jerry Bruckheimer and Paramount are finally releasing the long-awaited Top Gun: Maverick in May of this year. After that, the 79-year-old Bruckheimer has thirty-two upcoming projects listed on his IMDb. These include an American Gigolo TV series, the National Treasure TV series, Bad Boys 4, Beverly Hills Cop 4, various Pirates of the Caribbean projects and a Formula One movie for Apple with Brad Pitt. Whether these all come to fruition remains to be seen.
Movie franchises based on toys and videogames are all the rage at the moment, and it feels like a new one is being announced every day. High-profile examples include Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie (as Barbie) and Ryan Gosling (as Ken). There’s also Dungeons & Dragons, which is getting various movie and TV series spin-offs. Most of these are cashing in on the same nostalgia that has led to the popularity of the “legacy sequel.”
While we wait for more information on the Beyblade movie(s), check out our guide to the best 2000s movies and the best anime series.