Spin Master Entertainment has tapped Brad Peyton to write, direct and produce a live action movie based on the popular Bakugan toy line earlier turned into an anime adventure TV series.
Peyton and Lindsay Harbert will collaborate on a screenplay based on the global franchise set around a Japanese anime show and a strategic game that uses metal cards and magnetic, spring-loaded miniature figures that transform from marblelike balls into toy monsters.
Peyton’s credits include directing and producing Atlas, starring Jennifer Lopez and Simu Liu for Netflix, helming Rampage, the Dwayne Johnson-starrer that earned $428 million worldwide and he directed San Andreas, which also starred Johnson and earned $475 million in worldwide takings.
In TV, Peyton co-created Daybreak for Netflix, and directed Frontier, starring Jason Momoa, also for Netflix.
“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,” Peyton said in a statement on Thursday.
First launched in 2007, Bakugan became a successful and toy line and anime adventure series, while spinning off digital content and a popular card game. Spin Master also co-produced around 300 Bakugan TV episodes, with the franchise’s toy line to date generating over $1 billion in sales worldwide.
“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,” Jennifer Dodge, Spin Master president, said in a statement.
Toy maker Spin Master’s movie slate already includes the upcoming third film in the Paw Patrol franchise, to be released by Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies in 2026. Peyton is represented by CAA and The Characters talent agency.
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English (US) ·