Variety has reported that Warner Brothers is in negotiations to acquire the worldwide rights (excluding Asia) to a Yu-Gi-Oh! animated feature currently in production in Japan. If all goes according to plan Warners will release the film theatrically next summer in the U.S. Yu-Gi-Oh! is currently the number one animated series on American network TV, where it appears on the WB network, and the Yu-Gi-Oh! CCG is the number one collectible card game in the country (see 'RPGs Soft, Other Categories Up'). Warner plans to cash in on the popularity of the Yu-Gi-Oh! CCG with a special promotional tie-in that will provide special game cards with movie tickets.
Warner Brothers has had considerable experience with the Pokemon franchise, which was also driven by a popular TV series (on the WB) and CCG (from Wizards of the Coast). Warners released the first three Pokemon films, which earned $85.7 million (the record for anime films), $43.8 million, and $17.1 million respectively.
