Get ready for sassy Pikachu, becauseDeadpoolstarRyan Reynoldswill lend his voice to the titular character in Legendary’s upcoming live-actionPokemonmovie,Detective Pikachu. The film has been busy casting its young leads in recent weeks, but Reynolds marks the big star-power get for the live-action adaptation of the beloved animated/gaming property.
Reynolds joinsThe Get DownstarJustice Smith, who will get some blockbuster exposure inJ.A. Bayona’sJurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, andBig Little LiesactressKathryn Newton.GoosebumpshelmerRob Lettermanis on board to direct the project, which is scheduled to start filming in London mid-January. The script comes fromNicole Perlman(Guardians of the Galaxy) andAlex Hirsch(Gravity Falls).
As the title suggests,Detective Pikachuisn’t just pulling any ol’Pokemonproperty, which have traditionally focused on trainers who collect the cuddly, but powerful creatures called Pokemon to compete in battle tournaments. Instead, the live-actionPokemonfilm is pulling from the gameGreat Detective Pikachu, an investigative spin on thePokemonsuperstar a la Sherlock Holmes, who has a knack for finding things and solving mysteries.
PerThe Hollywood Reporter, Reynolds' performance will be motion capture-based, and the story follows Smith’s character when he teams up with Detective to track down his kidnapped father. Further details are being kept under wraps for now.
Naturally,Detective Pikachuis intended to be a film franchise starter, drawing from the wellspring of voracious Pokemon fans who have skyrocketed the Pokemon franchise to an international phenomenon. The film was quicklyput into developmenton the heels ofPokemon Go’s wildfire success in the summer of 2016, but considering how quickly interest in that app dried out, we’ll have to see how much Pokemon the people are craving these days. Universal Pictures will distribute the film outside of Japan, while Toho will handle distribution in Japan.
Reynolds is certainly an unexpected choice! What do you guys think? Sounds off in the comments.
