Detective Pikachu Sequel Still in Active Development Movie

Legendary Entertainment gives fans reason to hope for the future of Detective Pikachu

After a long wait for updates on a sequel to Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, we now have something promising to share. According to a representative for Legendary Entertainment and a report from Polygon, the project is still in active development, giving fans of the franchise hope for what's to come.

Detective Pikachu, the first Pokémon live-action film, was a major success both commercially and critically. Its success at the box office was proof of its growing popularity. The video game adaptation made over $430 million at the box office, making it one of the highest-grossing adaptations ever.

The movie follows the story of aspiring Pokémon trainer Tim, played by Justice Smith, and the electric Pokémon investigator, Detective Pikachu, voiced by Ryan Reynolds. Tim and Pikachu team up to unravel the mystery of Tim's father's disappearance, leading them on a wild journey through the vibrant and dangerous world of Pokémon.

Ryan Reynolds' performance as Detective Pikachu received a lot of praise from audiences and critics as well. In addition to Reynolds' performance, the film was recognized for its exceptional visual effects, which did a remarkable job of bringing the Pokémon to life, creating a world that was both believable and captivating.

Unfortunately, the original screenwriter, Oren Uziel, is no longer involved in the project. Uziel, whose video game adaptation credentials include Sonic the Hedgehog, wrote an outline and a first draft for Detective Pikachu 2, but his replacement is not yet known. It has also been reported that the writers of the first film, Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit, are interested in developing the next movie. However, this information has not yet been confirmed.

Along with the writers, Justice Smith has expressed enthusiasm for reprising his role as Tim, even though he was skeptical about the sequel's chances of becoming a reality. However, his perspective may have changed with this recent update from Legendary Entertainment. While this news is exciting, it's not a guarantee that Detective Pikachu 2 will be released since projects can be delayed in development very often.

Due to the original's success, Warner Bros. and Legendary are likely to move forward with the second installment, despite some obstacles during production. Although the future of the Detective Pikachu franchise is still unclear following the distribution agreement with Sony, fans will be pleased to know that it remains in active development.

Why Detective Pikachu 2 Should Take Place in a Familiar Pokémon Region
Detective Pikachu was an unexpected treat for Pokémon fans. Of all the Pokémon intellectual properties, such as Ranger, Colosseum, and the numerous main series games, fans wouldn't have expected the first live-action Pokémon movie to be based on Detective Pikachu. The basis for this film was a 2016 video game of the same name. Although the film was released to a mixed reception, it still turned enough profit at the box office to warrant a sequel. And so on this note, fans have been wondering where the good detective's adventures will take him next.

While the 2019 film was completely isolated to the confines of Ryme City, it's clear that an effort was made to still make it exist within the familiar Pokémon world. Detective Pikachu's (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) human companion, Tim Goodman (Justice Smith), was once an aspiring Pokémon trainer, an occupation that is firmly established to exist in the world of the film. With this in mind, it's not unreasonable to think that Detective Pikachu and Tim could venture into familiar territory and see the sights and faces that longtime fans of the video game franchise would be intimately accustomed to. In fact, setting Detective Pikachu 2 in a region already established in the games may work to the movie's benefit.

It would be no surprise to anyone, not even someone who doesn't play Pokémon, to say that the main series of Pokémon games are immensely popular and lucrative. Even though plenty of common criticisms are thrown at them, especially in recent years, the games have remained a profit-churning juggernaut of the video game world. It would then stand to reason that having a direct connection to the games would allow a Detective Pikachu sequel to get a bigger piece of the proverbial pie.

Of course, it would have to be done so as not to alienate viewers who perhaps are not familiar with the setting while also being blatant enough about the setting that it can satiate more hardcore fans. It's definitely a balancing act. However, if nothing else, making the setting a region from the games would allow for a background with immense personality without rehashing Ryme City. For example, if the film were set in the Johto region from Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal, the rural Japanese culture-inspired backdrop to the film would create an entirely different atmosphere to the previous more New York-inspired Ryme City. And in this hypothetical situation, setting the movie in the Johto region would cause fans of Gold/Silver/Crystal to flock to the theater.

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Detective Pikachu Sequel Still in Active Development Movie

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