‘Pokémon Detective Pikachu’ Sequel Finally Gets Its Director

The Pokémon Detective Pikachu sequel finally got its director. Legendary Entertainment, the production house in charge of the sequel is currently negotiating with a talented director. The live-action sequel movie has also landed a scriptwriter. So, who is in talks with the production house to direct Pokémon Detective Pikachu? Keep reading to find out the details.

Rob Letterman Directed The Original Pokémon Detective Pikachu

The original live-action movie which was released in 2019 was directed by Rob Letterman. It was also the first live-action movie based on a Nintendo game property since the 1993 Super Mario Bros. The titular character was voiced by actor Ryan Reynolds. The plot follows former Pokémon trainer Tim Goodman and the titular character as they band together to solve the mystery. They try to uncover the disappearance of Tim’s father, Harry.

[Source: YouTube]

Filming for the movie took place from January to May 2018 in Colorado, England, and Scotland. Pokémon Detective Pikachu was released in Japan on May 3, 2019, and in the United States on May 10, 2019. The movie received praise for the visual effects and Ryan’s spectacular performance. Additionally, the cast included Kathryn Newton, who’s currently starring in Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania. The movie made a worldwide gross of $433 Million. It was the second-highest-grossing video game film adaptation after Warcraft which was also produced by Legendary Pictures.

Portlandia Co-Creator Jonathan Krisel Might Direct The Sequel

Now, as reported by Deadline, the production house is currently in talks with Portlandia co-creator Jonathan Krisel to direct the sequel. Apart from working on Portlandia, he also co-created, directed, and wrote FX’s Baskets which starred Zach Galifianakis as a rodeo clown. Additionally, Chris Galletta will write the script for the sequel movie. Previously, Galletta wrote the 2013 comedy The Kings Of Summer.

[Source: YouTube]

While no deals have been made at the time of writing, sources revealed that Reynolds might have some part to play in the sequel movie.

The Pokémon franchise has delighted fans of all ages for almost three decades. With more than 440 Million video games sold globally and billions of Pokémon TCG cards shipped, the franchise has a mass following. The animated series is licensed to broadcast in over 177 countries spanning 25 seasons. So far, it is one of the world’s highly successful entertainment franchises.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu Hit A Snag In 2021

The sequel’s development has been a bit of a rollercoaster. It was confirmed in 2019 even before the original movie hit the theatres. Back in 2021, when star Justice Smith hinted at the film being canceled, fans were disappointed. At the time, he said, “I think we have to just kind of bury our hopes. I don’t think it’s going to happen.”