Rob Letterman Will Direct Live-Action POKEMON Movie DETECTIVE PIKACHU For Legendary
Many Pokemon fans were left confused by the decision to make Detective Pikachu the franchise's first live-action movie, but like it or not, the project is moving along nicely and already has a director.
Deadline reveals that Legendary Entertainment has chosen Rob Letterman to take the helm of Detective Pikachu, the first of what may very well be an entire slate of live-action movies featuring these iconic characters. It was back when Pokemon Go was taking the world by storm that we first heard about these plans, and neither the studio nor The Pokemon Company are wasting any time.
Letterman's past credits include Goosebumps and Monsters Vs. Aliens, while he also both wrote and directed the popular animated feature Shark Tale. Nicole Perlman and Alex Hirsch penned the screenplay, but considering the fact that Detective Pikachu is a relatively new character in this world, we have pretty much no idea what to expect in terms of both the plot and supporting characters.
First introduced in Japan in 1996, Pokémon has delighted fans of all ages around the world for two decades. With more than 279 million video games sold worldwide, 21.5 billion TCG cards shipped to 74 countries, and an animated series spanning 19 seasons, Pokémon is one of the most successful entertainment brands in the world, so this movie has a ton of potential if it's handled the right way.
Universal Pictures will handle distribution of the live-action film outside Japan as it has done with Legendary’s other films for years. The Pokémon Company’s long time movie collaborator, Toho, will handle distribution of the film franchise in Japan. Do you think this movie sounds like a good idea?