An Idea for a Live Action 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' Movie

I talked about in a previous article, that Hollywood is going to continue to take childhood favorite properties like Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Power Rangers,and turn them into live action block buster's. Mainly because they make money and people are always going to be curious to see what their childhood favorites look like in a more adult tone.

So if the trend is going to continue, what are some other properties that can be used?

One that comes to my head immediately is the trading card game and cartoon series many of us watched as children. YU-Gi-Oh!.

I have an idea for a storyline that could translate Yu-Gi-Oh! into a successful motion picture. This would not be in continuity with any cartoon series at all; that means no Yugi, or millennium items.

Plot: In this world Yu-Gi-Oh! (Dual Monsters) is a major sporting event. Along the lines of the PGA (Golf) or PBA (Bowling). Anyone can go and attempt to qualify for major competitions.

The game is played much like in the cartoon, where cards are placed on either a portable dual disk, or in a battle field. Once the cards are placed on the device, the monsters on the card will be displayed holographically to fight with eachother.

The dueling itself, will be exactly like in the original cartoon series. Most amateurs will use duel disks, while professional events will use a more stadium setup.

The movie would follow a young boy or girl (17-20 in age); we will call them Aron. Aron is an amateur dualist who mainly plays with his friends. Aron is considered one of the best duelist in the area, but never attempted to qualify for professional competitions.

He lives with his Grandfather, who has raised him since he was young. His Grandfather is in possession of a legendary card that has not been used in centuries.

His Grandfather contracts an illness that neither he nor Aron have the money to pay the doctor bills for. His Grandfather is unwilling to sell the legendary card in order to pay for the bills. It is too valuable to him.

Instead Aron's Grandfather gives him the card, and signs him up to qualify for the upcoming Duel Monster Championship, that would pay for the procedures.

The top duelist in the world though; we will call him Skye. Is very wealthy and very corrupt. He badly wants the card that Aron and his grandfather have. He believes he will be unstoppable with the card. Just as he fears Aron is with it.

Skye will lie, cheat, steal, and kill in order to get the card and stop Aron from defeating him. Aron and his friends lives will be in danger, as long as he has the card in his possession. But it will not stop Aron from competing to be the best duelist in the world and save his Grandfather.

The movie will follow Aron on his struggles to make it through the competition, help his grandfather, and keep Skye from getting the legendary card.

We will get to see the pain and strategy that he goes through during a duel, much like Yugi would in the original cartoon series. And much like the antagonist Seto Kaiba was, the Skye character would follow the same lead.

This movie would give us live action monsters that we know and love in CGI form, while also having a gritty storyline to follow.

Who would not love to see live action versions of Duel Monsters like the Blue Eyes White Dragon or legandaries like Exodia or Obelisk the Tormentor?

We all remember being glued to the screen as we watched the strategy Yugi and his friends went through during a duel in the original cartoon series. The moments when a Duel Monster we loved appeared on the screen left us in awe. We can only hope that a live action version of this would surpass it's animated counterpart.