'Karate Kid' Remake Director to Adapt 'Bakugan Battle Brawlers'« FirstShowing.net

As someone whose never really been a big fan of anime, that means that my childhood was void of any interest in cartoon/toy/card game crossovers likeYu-Gi-Oh!andPokémon. Therefore, I can't say that I have much interest in this new project that sounds all too similar to those aforementioned imports.The WrapreportsHarald Zwart, who most recently helmed the remake ofThe Karate Kid, is attached to direct an adaptation of the strategic card game turned animeBakugan Battle Brawlers. Going simply by the titleBakugan, the story utilizes a card game mixed with battles between monsters for a worldwide tournament.

Pretty original, right?! Anyway, the cartoon itself is an adaptation of the game created by Sega and Spin Master, but here's the story that was crafted for the anime series:

Dan Kuso and his five on-line friends started playing Bakugan when game cards inexplicably fell from the sky. Using combinations of cards and special marbles that turn into monsters, they fight duels and win points. Dan loudly proclaims he's going to become the all-time champion. He and his friends learn that Bakugan monsters have lives in the dimension of Vestroia. But the mysterious gamer Masquerade is destroying the monsters he defeats by sending them to the Doom Dimension.

Obviously there's interest in the property because it was named"Toy of the Year"by the Toy Industry Association in 2009, which was it's second consecutive win. Of course, any film that combines a familiar brand has the potential for even more merchandising and that just makes executives feel all warm and gooey inside. This will be a step up for Zwart in the scale of his films, but since he was in the director's chair forAgent Cody BanksandThe Pink Panther 2, he's quite familiar with directing films for a younger audience.

Honestly, I can't say that I'm the least bit interested, and since the adaptation of"Avatar: The Last Airbender"didn't turn out so well (yes, I know it's not a Japanese anime), I don't have too much faith in this project yet. Not only is it yet another adaptation of a toy/cartoon series headed to the big screen, but this kind of story and action has been beaten into the ground by thePokémonfranchise. Of course, I'm always ready to have my mind changed, so the ball is in your court Universal.What do you think?

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