Avatar: The Last Airbender and Hook star Dante Basco is set to try his hand at the developmental side of films by optioning the rights to the Tapas Media comic series Kids Being Kids, according to Deadline.
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The web comic, which is set in the Philippines and currently has 13 episodes, is a collection of culturally rich, honest and often heart-wrenching stories of children overcoming personal difficulties in their lives, with Basco’s deal establishing a feature film adaptation with the option of continuing the adaptation into a serialized format afterwards.
“We’re incredibly excited to be partnering with Dante Basco and Aiyeim on Kids Being Kids,” said Michael Son, Editor in Chief of Tapas Media. “I’ve been a huge fan of Dante’s work and efforts in promoting more Asian representation in media and popular culture – and knew that Aiyem’s immensely empathetic story about youth culture in the Philippines would be the perfect fit. It’s our vision to help promote diverse stories from creators from all around the world, and help us all connect through the power of storytelling. I think we’ve found the right partners that share the same vision.”
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Basco is well-known for his early breakout performance as Rufio in the 1991 fan-favorite adventure Hook, followed by finding success in the voice-acting field with main roles in the short-lived Disney Channel cult classic American Dragon: Jake Long in the titular role, followed by the acclaimed Nickelodeon adventure series Avatar: The Last Airbender as initial antagonist Prince Zuko, as well as a brief role in sequel series The Legend of Korra.
“I’m excited to work with Tapas, bringing this unique story and these honest characters to life as well as representing my community in a way that I feel, hasn’t been done yet,” Basco said.
