The first live-action Pokémon series is reportedly in the works at Netflix. The media franchise has had many iterations over the years, beginning with 1996 video game Pocket Monsters: Red and Green, later renamed Pokémon Red and Blue. The franchise has since expanded into various anime series, animated films, movies, trading cards, mangas, and various merchandise outlets. Pokémon is the fourth best selling video game franchise of all time and the highest grossing media franchise of all time.
Most recently, a live-action Pokémon film was released in 2019 titled Detective Pikachu. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, and Suki Waterhouse, the film grossed $433 million at the box office and earned mixed reviews from critics. While Smith is unsure whether or not a Detective Pikachu sequel will happen, the Pokémon brand remains strong, with another video game, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, slated for release this November and another set for 2022.
Despite no news on a Detective Pikachu sequel, Pokémon is not done with live-action yet. Variety reports that Netflix is developing a live-action Pokémon series. No details are known about the plot of the series as it is in the very early stages of development. Lucifer co-showrunner Joe Henderson is attached to write and executive produce the series which will emulate the style of the Detective Pikachu film.
Pokémon is no stranger to television, having had various animated series over the years. Nor are the characters strangers to the silver screen, with the franchise consistently releasing animated films over the years to varying degrees of success. Netflix has several movies on the platform, including Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You, Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us, and their recent CGI remake of Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution. With the news of a series, the streamer is betting big on the franchise.
With details slim on the Pokémon series, it's hard to tell which direction it could go. One of the franchise's most popular characters in the films and shows is Ash Ketchum and it's unclear if the adaptation will be of his and his friends story or introduce new characters entirely. What is clear, though, is that the series will be a landmark event for the franchise and how the streamer blends the CGI world of the titular creatures and the live-action elements of it will determine how successful the new Pokémon series is.
Source: Variety