For decades now, the Pokemon anime series has enjoyed persistent popularity, spawning its own merchandise and multiple theatrical films. Recent years have seen the Pokemon franchise branch off into the live-action space, with the Ryan Reynolds-led Detective Pikachu movie doing well at the box office in 2019. While rumors persist that more live-action Pokemon movies are in development, it seems fans have a live-action Pokemon TV series to look forward to as well.
According to Variety's sources, Netflix is developing a live-action Pokemon TV series, with Lucifer showrunner Joe Henderson attached to write and produce the project. Plot details are unavailable at the time of this writing, so it's anyone's guess as to what exactly this live-action Pokemon TV series from Netflix will look like. However, with Netflix currently streaming multiple seasons of the Pokemon anime, it seems only natural for it to be the one to pull the trigger on a live-action adaptation.
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Netflix is the exclusive home to new episodes of Pokemon Journeys, and it also has some older Pokemon TV series available for streaming as well. Not only that, but Netflix has been producing numerous live-action anime adaptations in recent years, with one of the most notable in development being Cowboy Bebop. Considering this, it makes a lot of sense for Netflix to pursue a live-action Pokemon TV series.
Netflix has also shown interest in adding video game adaptations to its streaming service as well. Just recently, the Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness CG series debuted on Netflix, and a live-action Resident Evil TV series with Lance Reddick as Albert Wesker is also in the works. With Pokemon being one of the most popular video game franchises in the world, it seems like a no-brainer for it to be the streaming giant's next choice for a live-action series.
It's unclear what this Netflix Pokemon series means for the live-action Pokemon theatrical films. While nothing concrete has been announced, Detective Pikachu's success started talks of a live-action Pokemon cinematic universe that, according to rumors, would've included a film about Mewtwo, a potential Detective Pikachu sequel, and a Pokemon Red and Blue movie adaptation detailing Red's journey through the Kanto region.
However, the latest update on the live-action Pokemon movies was Detective Pikachu star Justice Smith being uncertain that a sequel would be made. Perhaps the plans for the live-action Pokemon movies have been put on hold in favor of the Netflix series, but that's just speculation at this time. It's entirely possible that Pokemon fans have multiple live-action projects to look forward to, which would make it an exciting time to be a fan of the franchise indeed.
Pokemon is in development at Netflix.
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Source: Variety