Just when I thought it was safe to assume my kids had outgrown all the Beyblade paraphernalia, it’s looking like the popular toy franchise will be bursting back onto the scene – this time on the big screen courtesy of Jerry Bruckheimer. Deadline reports that the Hollywood super-producer is on board to produce a live-action film with Paramount loosely based on the popular spinning top franchise – or more likely some form of adaptation of the accompanying Takao Aoki manga series of the same name. Neil Widener and Gavin James (both announced as co-writers of two tentpole sequels: San Andreas 2 and Now You See Me 3) are writing the spec script, but all plot details are still firmly under wraps.
This is not the first news of the project it was first reported back in May 2015 that Paramount Pictures had acquired the rights to make a live-action film based on the battling tops.
The film is still only in the very early stages of development, but it’s by no means a stretch to assume that Paramount recognizes the franchise fodder they’ve got their hands on, especially considering how many hundreds of millions of units have been sold the world.
Up first though, Bruckheimer and Paramount’s long-awaited sequel, Top Gun: Maverick is scheduled for a May landing date plus they’re also working to produce the Owen Wilson and Michael Peña-starring action-adventure film Secret Headquarters, and an updated TV version of the 1980 film American Gigolo for Paramount TV. But it doesn’t end there, as Bruckheimer is also producing Brad Pitt’s upcoming Formula 1 flick for Apple, which will also be directed by Top Gun: Maverick helmer Joseph Kosinski.
