Against all odds, the first live-action Pokémon movie, Detective Pikachu, was a resounding success. Amid a sea of terrible anime live-action adaptations, the film managed to buck the trend with an entertaining plot full of laughs and incredible CGI, bringing the world of Pocket Monsters to life. But credit where it’s due, as the chemistry between Justice Smith and Ryan Reynolds, the voice of the yellow electric mouse, was undeniably charming.
So, it isn’t hard to imagine that a follow-up is already being discussed and is practically guaranteed. According to Geek Vibes Nation, industry insider Daniel Richtman claims that the next Pokémon movie is already in production. However, it’s reported that it won’t be a direct sequel to Detective Pikachu and might be a reimagining of the Red and Blue saga. And while exciting to hear, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as We Got This Covered first told you over a year ago that a film based on Red and Blue was in the works.
Of course, back in the ‘90s, these dual releases were all the rage and a must-have for the Nintendo Game Boy, and have since spawned countless sequels. Fans had the chance to dive into the Kanto region and capture 151 Pokémon, including the most well-known ones like Pikachu, Charizard, Bulbasaur and Squirtle.
If this report pans out, we’ll be seeing a live-action Ash Ketchum for the first time and maybe even characters from the original series like Professor Oak, Misty, Brock, and Gary, too. Not to mention the possibility of an appearance of the villainous trio comprising Team Rocket: Jessie, James and Meowth.
With no plot details revealed yet, it’s anybody’s guess as to what direction the story could take. But as long as the team attached to the project are fans of the franchise and do justice to the source material, there should be no reason for moviegoers to complain. And if they need a guideline on what not to do, they just need to take a look at the massive library of failed anime to live-action adaptations.
Tell us, though, were you hoping for a Detective Pikachu sequel, or are you more excited to see Ash Ketchum embark on his journey from Pallet Town? Let us know in the comments section below.