'Detective Pikachu' Release Date News: Live-Action Movie Adaptation to Arrive in 2019
The anticipated live-action movie adaptation of "Detective Pikachu" is slated to arrive in 2019.
The world of Pokémon is getting even bigger. Apart from the continuous flow of video games connected to the brand, Universal Pictures and Legendary Entertainment will be teaming up to produce the live-action movie "Detective Pikachu."
Deadline reported that the movie was set to arrive in the United States and Japan on May 10, 2019.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The "Detective Pikachu" movie was first confirmed in July 2016 after Legendary Entertainment acquired the license to produce the film, which is based on the Nintendo 3DS video game with the same title that was also released in the same year.
"Deadpool" actor Ryan Reynolds got the role of the titular lead. He will provide the voice and motion-capture actions of the world's favorite Pokémon. Meanwhile, Detective Pikachu's sidekicks will be played by actors Justice Smith and Kathryn Newton.
In the video game version, Detective Pikachu started a friendship with a boy named Tim Goodman, to whom the Pokémon reveals his investigative skills. Their first case involved catching two jewelry-stealing Aipoms.
The video game's plot includes solving cases of public disturbances and crimes caused by an array of Pokémon. While this is probably the same premise that the live-action movie will have, it is still unknown what major case the Reynolds-voiced Pikachu will tackle.
Meanwhile, it was finalized last month that Rob Letterman would serve as the film's director. Letterman is known for his works on the live-action movie adaptation of "Gulliver's Travels" and "Goosebumps."
The production of the live-action movie was originally set to begin in 2017. However, last October, companies attached to the making of the film confirmed that they were pushing back their schedule to this January with London as its filming location.
In other related news, the video game version of "Detective Pikachu" is finally coming to the United States and Europe on March 23 -- two years after its exclusive launch in Japan.
