Legendary’slive-action Pokemonmovie is quickly moving forward, withNicole Perlman(Guardians of the Galaxy) andAlex Hirsch(Gravity Falls) signing on to write the script back in August. Today we have word that the studio has found its director, withRob Letterman(Goosebumps) coming aboard to take the helm. This project is said to be the first in a planned franchise, entitledDetective Pikachu, with the story centering on this title character.
The Hollywood Reporterreveals that Legendary has put this project on the fast track with production being eyed to start in early 2017. The studio acquired the film and TV rights to thePokemon franchiseback in July, although there were reports that surfaced soon thereafter that a live-action movie may not come together too quickly. Just days later, Legendary announced that their deal with The Pokemon Company was finalized,
Pokémonfirst debuted back in 1996, with the franchise kicking off its20th Anniversarycelebration with a Super Bowl commercial earlier this year. With more than 279 million video games sold worldwide, 21.5 billion TCG cards shipped to 74 countries, and an animated series spanning 19 seasons,Pokémonis one of the most successful entertainment brands in the world. This summer, The Pokemon Group launched the revolutionary augmented reality appPokemon Go, which has already become a worldwide sensation.
TheDetective Pikachucharacter was first introduced in a Japanesevideo gameentitledGreat Detective Pikachu, which debuted earlier this year. No story details have been given yet, but Universal Pictures will handle distribution of the live-action film outside Japan as it has done with Legendary’s other films for years. The Pokémon Company’s long time movie collaborator, Toho, will handle distribution of the film franchise in Japan, as it had similarly done in its partnership with Legendary on the iconic monster reboot forGodzilla.
Legendary and Universal haven’t announced a release date for thisPokemon moviequite yet, and no story details haven’t been released yet either.Rob Lettermanis coming off theR.L. StineadaptationGoosebumps, which grossed $80 million domestically and $150 million worldwide, from a $58 million budget. The filmmaker’s other directing credits include the family-friendly animated adventureMonsters vs. Aliens,Shark TaleandGulliver’s Travels. With production slated to begin in just a few months, hopefully we’ll have word on casting forDetective Pikachusoon.
