A sequel to Detective Pikachu is already in the works with 22 Jump Street scribe Oren Uziel onboard to write the script. Positioned as one of Warner Bros.' major tentpoles for the summer, Detective Pikachu has been steadily generating buzz since the first trailer debuted late last year. Fans are excited to see the world of Pokémon finally come to live-action, and the casting of Ryan Reynolds as the titular fast-talking sleuth gives it some extra star power to boot. Combining noir elements with all the possibilities of the Pokémon franchise, the movie certainly has an opportunity to be one of 2019's most unique offerings.
The Pokémon brand remains as popular as ever, with a resurgence boosted by the success of mobile game Pokémon GO in 2016. Since there remains significant interest in fresh content from the franchise, it stood reason to believe WB and Legendary Pictures were hoping Detective Pikachu could be the start of a new movie series. As it turns out, that's precisely the case, and the wheels are now in motion for a sequel to the upcoming live-action/animation hybrid.
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According to THR, Legendary has pegged Uziel to write a Detective Pikachu 2 script. Since the project is in the earliest stages of development, no other information was available at this time.
As of this writing, Detective Pikachu is still more than three months away from hitting theaters, so it's a major vote of confidence in the movie that the studio is developing the followup now. In some cases, executives like to wait and see what they have before forging ahead on franchise plans, just in case a title doesn't live up to commercial or critical expectations. But apparently, Legendary higher-ups love what director Rob Letterman delivered and want to stay in the Pokémon business. Obviously, it's unknown what directions the sequel's story could take, but it in all likelihood would involve everyone's favorite crime-solving Pokémon teaming up with his human partner to solve a new case. Detective Pikachu marketing has played up the burgeoning friendship between Pikachu and Tim Goodman (Justice Smith), so it would be a shame if that dynamic wasn't further explored in the next movie.
Detective Pikachu arrives at the multiplex two weeks after Avengers: Endgame, putting it in an ideal position to thrive during its box office run. Summer is always a competitive time of the year for ticket sales, but WB smartly positioned Pikachu, giving it a small cushion before Aladdin and Godzilla: King of the Monsters open at the end of May. It should have ample time to turn a healthy profit for the studio, especially when one considers the property's global appeal. With the future of Deadpool up in the air due to the Disney/Fox acquisition, perhaps Detective Pikachu can become Reynolds' meal ticket for the next few years.
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Source: THR
