In July 2016, the highly-anticipated spinoff film adaptation of Pokémon, Detective Pikachu, was officially announced by Legendary Pictures. The decision to bring Detective Pikachu to the big screen stemmed from the Pokémon Company and director Rob Letterman’s desire to explore a different character apart from the franchise’s well-known protagonist, Ash Ketchum.
With an intriguing storyline and a talking Pokémon, this project from the ‘most profitable franchise ever’ stars some great actors who made the movie an immediate hit; debuting at the Box Office with an opening weekend collection of $54.5 billion!
From an animated series to a live-action feature, Pokémon did catch ‘em all
The idea of talking Pokémon had its origins in a 1990s TV series concept that Game Freak, the original game developer, ultimately discarded. However, this concept was revived for the 2016 Detective Pikachu spin-off game.
Before shooting the film, the team spent a year meticulously designing the characters, ensuring they stayed true to the Pokémon universe and captured the essence of each beloved Pokémon.
The film’s post-production phase involved a collaboration between renowned visual effects companies, including the Moving Picture Company (MPC), Framestore, Image Engine, Rodeo FX, and Instinctual VFX. These teams worked together to create stunning visuals, drawing from their experience on projects like The Jungle Book and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Guess the Pokémon!
In November 2017, Justice Smith was cast as the main lead in the film. Thereafter, post an intense reading and testing session, Kathryn Newton bagged the female lead over other great actresses such as Natalia Dyer, Haley Lu Richardson, and Katherine Langford in the film that belongs to a $76 billion franchise!
Ryan Reynolds, known for his charismatic performances, was chosen to provide the motion capture and voice-over work for Detective Pikachu. Other A-listers such as Danny DeVito, Dwayne Johnson, Mark Wahlberg, and Hugh Jackman, were also considered for the titular role.
Additionally, audio recordings for crucial scenes, such as the thrilling encounter between Detective Pikachu and Charizard, were captured during the Pokémon World Championships in 2018, adding an extra layer of authenticity to the film.
The story revolves around Tim Goodman, a former Pokémon trainer, and the eponymous Detective Pikachu as they team up to unravel the mysterious disappearance of Tim’s father, Harry.
The film received praise for its visual effects and Reynolds’ performance, although the story faced some criticism. With a worldwide gross of $433 million, it was the second-highest-grossing video game film adaptation of all time, second only to Warcraft. A sequel is currently in the works.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
