Pokemon franchise developer Game Freak suffered a major hack this weekend, resulting in a ton of private information becoming public online. While much of the information pertained to the Pokemon video games, there are also reports of a trilogy of live-action movies planned for the franchise.
One of the movies was, of course, Detective Pikachu, but it also seems there was a sequel planned. Titled The Great Detective Pikachu, the movie has been in development since 2021.
Apparently, the complete plot of the movie is contained in the leak, but we won't be sharing it here. Kong: Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts is attached to helm the movie.
Interestingly, we don't quite know the status of the film. The film was reportedly planned to be released in 2024, but obviously, that hasn't happened. There's been no formal announcement and we're almost at the end of the year — so we're not quite sure if it's still happening.
Released in 2019, Pokemon Detective Pikachu is a live-action movie loosely based on the 2016 video game of the same name. It was written and directed by Rob Letterman and starred Ryan Reynolds as the voice and facial motion capture of Pikachu.
It was the first live-action Pokemon film and the first-ever live-action film based on a Nintendo game property since 1993's Super Mario Bros. The film was both a critical and commercial success, earning $450 million worldwide. It was the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time before being surpassed by Illumination's The Super Mario Bros. Movie in 2023.
Nintendo has already greenlit a sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie and even announced a release date for April 3, 2026. However, there's been nothing about a Detective Pikachu sequel yet which feels a bit strange given that the movie was also a commercial hit.
A third film, unrelated to the Detective Pikachu movie, was also mentioned in the leak. Titled Game Boy, the movie "aims to dig deep into the theme of Pokémon’s boundless potential, creating a story that highlights the importance of bonds, whether between friends or between Pokémon themselves."
"At first glance, it may seem like a simple story, but by showcasing unexpected situations, such as the moments when bonds are broken or how one overcomes trauma, it brings out its unique flavor," the leak teases. "When one bond ends, a new bond is born. You may not know that yet."
At this point, the status of this film is also unknown.