After years of tiny morsels of information, Canadian toy/media company Spin Master has finally, formally announced Bakugan: Battle Planet, the relaunch of their once hugely successful anime brand. The new show will launch this December in North America, with Latin America, Europe and other markets receiving it in 2019. The toyline will debut in North America in Q1 2019, with international debuts following in the second quarter. The series will air on Cartoon Network in the U.S., Europe, Middle East & Africa, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand. In Canada, Teletoon will air Bakugan: Battle Planet.



Here’s the official synopsis:

The animated series follows the adventures of Dan and his best friends, the first kids on Earth to bond with the mysterious alien creatures known as the Bakugan. With storylines themed around friendship, battling and competition combined with a new integrated toy line, Bakugan Battle Planet is anticipated to be one of the biggest and most dynamic franchises yet.

Bakugan: Battle Planet is co-produced by Toronto’s Spin Master Entertainment and Nelvana alongside Tokyo’s TMS Entertainment. As well as the TV show, additional short form content will be produced for online channels. The Bakugan licensing program, led by Cartoon Network Enterprises in all territories except Asia, will also be available at retail in 2019. In Asia, Takara Tomy will launch the toy line in Japan and TMS will manage distribution of the toy, animated series and related licensing program.

Regarding the toyline, Spin Master states it “will retain the essence of what made the original toys so popular, with exciting new features that bring revolutionary card and app play.” New marble-like balls with “ingenious” technology instantly transform into multiple collectible characters when rolled over a magnetic card. The new gameplay will allow for different levels of play, from beginner to advanced, and offer players the ability to compete against multiple opponents.

“Bakugan is a global legacy brand that aided in the evolution of Spin Master’s approach to entertainment and franchise development,” said Ronnen Harary, Co-Founder, Chairman and Co-CEO. “We are excited to be working with our global partners to relaunch Bakugan, bringing innovation, excitement and battling fun to children all over the world.”

Spin Master has officially launched a countdown teaser site, with a reveal set for December 1st.

The original Bakugan: Battle Brawlers anime launched in 2007 on TV Tokyo in Japan and Teletoon in Canada, before rolling out internationally in 2008. An immediate hit upon its global debut, the series ran for four seasons, encompassing 189 half-hour episodes before concluding in 2012. The original generation of the property was also a Canada-Japan co-production, with Spin Master, Nelvana, TMS Entertainment, Sega Toys and Japan-Vistec.

Spin Master initially announced plans for a relaunch of the brand back in December 2015. News on the project remained limited until earlier year, when Corus Entertainment confirmed its Nelvana subsidiary and TMS Entertainment would helm the series. Fans had already discovered a trademark filed by Spin Master for “Bakugan: Battle Planet” late last year. The company’s CEO has stated the new show will be aimed at “an entirely new generation of kids” and will feature episodes with 11-minute runtimes. Art from the series was found in some of the company’s business reports.

In the buildup to Bakugan’s reintroduction, Spin Master has launched lawsuits against competing toy brands it views as violating its patents. This includes Alpha Group’s Screechers Wild and Sono Kong/Mattel’s Mecard properties.

Update (10/15/2018): Toronto agency Vanderwerff Talent confirmed that their clients Jonah Wineberg and Ticoon Kim have landed the roles of Dan and Shun, respectively. Additionally, actor Deven Mack announced that he’s been brought on board to play Wynton Styles.

Entertainment trade C21 Media has reported that the show will be presented as either 50 half hour episodes, or 100 eleven-minute episodes. They also state that Bakugan Battle Planet will star “Dan Kouzo.” The lead in the original series was named Dan Kuso.