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Nelvana Confirms Bakugan: Mechtanium Surge Show Plans
posted on by Egan Loo
The Canadian production company Nelvana Enterprises confirmed on Monday that it is planning a show called Bakugan: Mechtanium Surge, as well as more Beyblade under the name Beyblade: Metal Masters. Nelvana is presenting these and other shows to potential licensees and distributors worldwide at MIPCOM, the trade show that will run next week in Cannes, France. Nelvana is currently co-producing the Bakugan Gundalian Invaders television series (pictured at right) and the Beyblade: Metal Fusion television series.
The whole Bakugan franchise is based on Spin Master and Sega Toys' combination of metal cards and marble-like magnetic toys that automatically transform into figures during gameplay. The franchise has been a bestseller in North America, and it won numerous honors at Toy Fair's annual Toy of the Year Awards. Spin Master already filed for a registered trademark for toys on "Mechtanium Surge" in the United States in July. America's Cartoon Network began showing the first Bakugan anime series in February of 2008. It recounted the adventures of Daniel (Danma "Dan" Kūsō in Japanese) and his friends as they help free Vestroia, the alternate world of the Bakugan warrior Dragonoid (Drago for short).
A second Bakugan: New Vestroia season of 26 episodes premiered in North America in spring of 2009. The Hollywood Reporter newspaper revealed later that year that Universal Pictures and Stuber Productions signed a deal with Spin Master for a proposed theatrical film version. The third television season, Bakugan Gundalian Invaders, premiered this year.
Nelvana Enterprises has been adapting the 2009-2010 Metal Fight Beyblade anime series as Beyblade: Metal Fusion, and the series premiered in Canada in May and then in the United States in June. Metal Fight Beyblade/Beyblade: Metal Fusion is the first new anime in four years for Bakugan, the franchise based on the spinning-top games from Takara Tomy and Hasbro. The next anime season premiered in Japan in April under the name Metal Fight Beyblade: Baku (pictured at left), followed by the Metal Fight Beyblade VS Taiyō Shakunetsu no Shinryakusha film in July.
Before Metal Fight Beyblade/Beyblade: Metal Fusion, there were three earlier Beyblade television anime series between 2001 and 2003: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade, Bakuten Shoot Beyblade 2002 (Beyblade: V-Force), and Bakuten Shoot Beyblade G-Revolution. Nelvana released all three in the United States.
Thanks to John And for the news tip.
Images © Sega Toys/Spin Master/Bakugan Project
© Takafumi Adachi, MFBBProject, TV Tokyo
Update: Typo fixed. Thanks, Siliva.
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