Nelvana Enterprises and partners, Spin Master Ltd., Sega Toys Ltd. and TMS Ent. have announced that they are producing an additional 26 episodes of the anime-style television series Bakugan, which airs on Cartoon Network in the U.S. and TELETOON in Canada. Dubbed Bakugan: New Vestroia, the new season will be ready for air in the spring of 2009.
Featuring animation by TMS Ent., Bakugan: New Vestroia will follow Dan, Marucho and Drago as they join forces with the Bakugan Resistance in order to restore peace and freedom to their enslaved planet. The newly formed group of friends must battle the evil Vestal to free the captured Bakugan and destroy the Vestal’s plans for domination.
‘Bakugan is quickly becoming the No.1 ‘gotta-have’ boys’ action property for both broadcasters and retailers,’ says Doug Murphy, president of Nelvana and general manager of Corus Kids. ‘This is truly an international success story, highlighting an outstanding working partnership of companies from Canada, the U.S. and Japan.’
According to Nelvana, toy demand in North America has made Bakugan one of the biggest retail successes of the summer. Bakugan toys and accessories by partner Spin Master are topping the charts at retail, beating out well-established movie-based properties. Already in the U.S., Canada, Australia and much of Asia, Bakugan toys will debut in France and the U.K. this holiday sason, with the rest of Europe coming on board through 2009.
Cartoon Network Enterprises, the exclusive licensing agent in the U.S., has also signed several new partners in soft lines categories including apparel, sleepwear, footwear, swimwear and accessories. DVDs of episodes from the first season of the show were released in August by Cartoon Network and Warner Home Video in the U.S., and by Vivendi Home Entertainment in Canada.
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