Pokemon: Detective Pikachu Movie Coming In Summer 2019

Published: August 26, 2018 12:45 PM /

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detective pikachu

The upcoming Pokemon live-action movie, called Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, will release in cinemas in Summer 2019.

Pokemon Company president Tsunekazu Ishihara announced both the title and the release window of the movie at the Pokemon World Championships, along with the movie's logo.  As the title would suggest, the movie is an adaptation of the Detective Pikachu video game released in March this year. It'll be the first live-action movie in Pokemon franchise history, and will star Ryan Reynolds as the titular sleuth (sorry, Danny DeVito hopefuls), with Justice Smith as trainer Tim Goodman. A number of other high-profile names such as Bill Nighy and Rita Ora play undisclosed live-action roles.

pokemon: detective pikachu logo

Rob Letterman is handling directing duties for the film. His previous works include Monsters vs. Aliens and Shark Tale, as well as 2010's Gulliver's Travels and the 2015 Goosebumps movie. Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is a joint venture between Japanese company Toho and US production houses Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. It's the first Pokemon film to get a wide cinematic release since 2001's Pokemon 3: The Movie. All Pokemon films released since have gone directly to video outside of special screenings.

Whether the movie will stick close to the plot of the game is not clear yet, but characters played by Kathryn Newton and Ken Watanabe appear to be new creations for the film, so the movie won't be a one-to-one conversion. We'll have more news on the ongoing production process of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu as we get it, so make sure to stay tuned. You can keep up with updates on the movie over at Pokemon: Detective Pikachu's official Twitter page.

Detective Pikachu released for the 3DS in March 2018. It focuses on trainer Tim Goodman and his Pikachu, which is capable of human speech (much like the Pokemon anime's Meowth). The game's plot sees Goodman and Pikachu investigating the disappearance of the former's father and the latter's original trainer while also solving mysteries in and around Ryme City.

Are you looking forward to Pokemon: Detective Pikachu? Any casting choices you'd make? Let us know in the comments below!

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Joe has been writing for TechRaptor for five years, and in those five years has learned a lot about the gaming industry and its foibles. He’s originally an… More about Joseph