'Pokémon' Live Action Movie News: Kathryn Newton From 'Big Little Lies' Cast as Female Lead
"Detective Pikachu," the live-action movie based on a "Pokémon" spin-off game, now has it's male and female leads. Their new hire is "Big Little Lies" star Kathryn Newton, who will be playing the female lead alongside Justice Smith.
Legendary has cast Newton as the female lead for their upcoming "Pokémon" live-action movie, picking her over a competitive field of young actresses vying for the role.
Natalia Dyer from "Stranger Things," Haley Lu Richardson from "Split" and Katherine Langford from "13 Reasons Why" were among those in the final set of choices, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
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It's just a matter of negotiation between Newton and Legendary Pictures. It's been a big year for the actress, who is being increasingly recognized for her roles in "Lady Bird" and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri."
Newton will be playing the role of Lucy, a smart, outspoken journalist who joins a boy and his crime-solving Pikachu to crack mysteries and strange cases. In the "Pokémon" game setting, Lucy also has her own companion, a Psyduck, although it has not been confirmed if this will be added to the movie.
She will be starring opposite "Get Down" star Justice Smith, who has been picked as the first human cast member and male lead of the live-action remake of "The Great Detective Pikachu," a "Pokémon" mystery puzzle spin-off game for the Nintendo 3DS.
Production for "Detective Pikachu" is set to start by mid-January in London. The movie has a stellar cast of writers featuring "Guardians of the Galaxy" scribe Nicole Perlman, who is teaming up with Alex Hirsch, creator of Disney Channel's "Gravity Falls."
More details about "Detective Pikachu" are expected to surface as the production team completes the casting. The movie will be distributed by Toho in Japan, and by Universal everywhere else.
