EXCLUSIVE: Best known for his iconic role as the red-mohawked hero Rufio from Hook and the Avatar: The Last Airbender animated series, Dante Basco has his eye on another comic for the big screen. Basco has optioned the webcomic Kids Being Kids from Tapas Media.

Created by aiyeim, the series is set in the Philippines and is an honest, deeply personal and heart-wrenching depiction of kids overcoming difficult obstacles in their life. With the option, Basco will develop Kids Being Kids into a movie with the possibility of moving towards a serialized format in the future. The property which currently has 13 episodes on Tapas Media.

“I’m excited to work with Tapas, bringing this unique story and these honest characters to life as well as representing my community in a way that I feel, hasn’t been done yet,” said Basco.

“We’re incredibly excited to be partnering with Dante Basco and Aiyeim on Kids Being Kids,” said Michael Son, Editor in Chief of Tapas Media. “I’ve been a huge fan of Dante’s work and efforts in promoting more Asian representation in media and popular culture – and knew that Aiyem’s immensely empathetic story about youth culture in the Philippines would be the perfect fit. It’s our vision to help promote diverse stories from creators from all around the world, and help us all connect through the power of storytelling. I think we’ve found the right partners that share the same vision.”

The deal was brokered for Tapas Media by THE|MACHINE, the Hollywood-based production, management and advertising firm.