The entertainment news website Deadline reported on Wednesday that Paramount Pictures has acquired rights to create a live-action film based on the Beyblade franchise. Mary Parent ( Pacific Rim , 2014 Godzilla ) is set to produce the film with her company Disruption Entertainment.

Takara Tomy's Beyblade line of toys inspired a manga series in 2000-2003, and Viz Media released the 14-volume series in North America in 2004-2006. The manga inspired three television anime series (Beyblade, Beyblade: V-Force, and Beyblade G Revolution) between 2001-2003, and the Beyblade the Movie: Fierce Battle film in 2002. A spinoff manga, Metal Fight Beyblade, has inspired the Beyblade: Metal Fusion, Beyblade: Metal Masters, Beyblade: Metal Fury, and Beyblade: Shogun Steel (pictured at right) television anime series, as well as the Metal Fight Beyblade VS Taiyō Shakunetsu no Shinryakusha film.

Nelvana has localized the seven television anime series for North America, and the company has also produced the Beywheelz and Beywarriors: Beyraiderz Western-exclusive animated spinoff series.

Deadline reports that the toy line has generated US$2.5 billion in revenue, and that Takara Tomy plans to launch a new generation of Beyblade toys in 2017. Hasbro releases the toy line in North America.

Thanks to Daniel for the news tip.