For the 2016 video game, see Detective Pikachu.
Template:Infobox Film
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu is a Japanese-American live-action film produced by Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures in collaboration with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. The movie is based on the 2016 game Detective Pikachu. Detective Pikachu is voiced by Ryan Reynolds, known for his role as Deadpool.
Confirmed human roles will be played by Kathryn Newton, Justice Smith and Ken Watanabe. The movie was released on May 10th, 2019.
Plot
Tim Goodman is a 21-year-old insurance salesman who had given up Pokémon training due to the death of his mother and the absence of his father, Harry. While hanging out with his friend Jack, Tim learns that Harry has presumably died while investigating a case. He travels to Ryme City, a metropolis that outlaws Pokémon fighting and pushes the bonds of humans and Pokémon alike, to collect Harry's assets. Tim also meets Lucy Stevens, a fluff columnist who wants to be a reporter and is suspicious of Harry's death, and her Psyduck. While reminiscing in his apartment, Tim encounters a Pikachu with a detective hat that can speak and only he can somehow understand. They are attacked by a party of Aipom under the influence of a purple gas that Tim accidentally released, but they both escape.
They take shelter at a café where Pikachu reveals that he has amnesia, but that he definitely knows he was Harry's partner and that they were investigating a case together. They look for Lucy who reveals that while investigating, she discovered that Harry was once at Ryme Wharf and set out to find clues. Tim and Pikachu interrogate a Mr. Mime who directs them to an illegal underground fighting arena owned by Sebastian, whose Charizard that Pikachu had fought before. Sebastian demands a rematch, but Pikachu cannot remember his own moves and Sebastian gives Charizard the same mysterious gas labeled "R". While Tim attempts to save Pikachu, Sebastian accidentally releases R and the entire stadium gets affected alerting the authorities, but not before Sebastian reveals to Tim that he got R from "the doctor".
Tim argues with police lieutenant Hideo Yoshida that Harry may be alive, but Yoshida shows him the video of Harry's crash; explaining that it would have been impossible. Soon, Tim and Pikachu are met by Ms. Norman who takes them to see Ryme City's benefactor Howard Clifford, who had once tried to cure his ailing condition and instead created the humanitarian city. He shows him more revealing footage of Harry surviving the attack, most likely from Mewtwo, but that he was taken away by the Pokémon leaving Pikachu with amnesia. Howard tells them to watch out for his son Roger who he claims is in control of his company and the city. With this new information, Tim and Pikachu recruit Lucy and Psyduck.
The group breaks into the lab facility Harry was investigating, learning that Dr. Ann Laurent, the doctor Sebastian mentioned, was experimenting on Mewtwo and had apparently hired Harry to aid them. They are soon attacked by several Greninja who chase them out of the building but are fended off by Psyduck. They then escape a field of colossal Torterra, but Pikachu is gravely injured. Tim manages to communicate to a Bulbasaur and takes Pikachu to a clearing in the forest where they are greeted by Mewtwo, who heals Pikachu and attempts to reveal its intent but is captured by Roger. Thinking that he betrayed Harry to a vengeful Mewtwo, Pikachu leaves Tim while the others return to Ryme City to warn Howard.
Pikachu comes across the area where Harry crashed his car and finds proof that it was not Mewtwo who attacked, but the Greninja. Tim reaches Howard, but learns too late that he intends to transfer his consciousnesses into Mewtwo and use R so that the Pokémon can become docile enough for him to fuse them with their owners, thus allowing humans to evolve within their Pokémon. Pikachu arrives and finally summons its electricity powers to battle Mewtwo. Tim, meanwhile finds out that "Roger" was actually Ms. Norman who was really a Ditto; the real Roger having been tied up and hidden. Tim subdues Ditto with R while Pikachu fends Mewtwo long enough for Tim to free Mewtwo from Howard's control.
Mewtwo restores everyone to normal while Howard is arrested. Roger is impressed with Lucy and hires her as a full-time reporter. Mewtwo then reveals that Harry was in fact fused with Pikachu so as to help solve the case and unfuses them. Harry offers Tim the chance to return home, but Tim decides to stay in order to spend time with him and Pikachu.
History
On July 20, 2016, Legendary Pictures announced[2] that they acquired the rights to make a live action movie based on the earlier that year released Detective Pikachu game.
On August 22, 2016, reports stated that Nicole Perlman & Alex Hirsch will write the screenplay.[3]
On November 30, 2016, reports stated that Rob Letterman will direct the movie.[4]
On December 6, 2017, Ryan Reynolds was announced to voice Detective Pikachu, alongside Justice Smith and Kathryn Newton.[1]
During an interview with IMDb at the 2018 San Diego Comic Con in July 2018, Suki Waterhouse teased that she had to do a move wherein she "disappears into a Pokémon".[5]
On July 25, 2018, it was announced that Warner Bros. would distribute the movie instead of Universal.
On January 25, 2019, just 4 months before the film was even released, a sequel was confirmed to be in the works.[6]
Characters
"*" denotes for Japanese dub only
Human
Main
- Kathryn Newton and Marie Iitoyo (*) as Lucy Stevens
- Justice Smith and Ryoma Takeuchi (*) as Tim Goodman
- Ken Watanabe as Detective Hide Yoshida
- Ryan Reynolds and Hidetoshi Nishijima (*) as Harry Goodman
- Karan Soni and Yūki Kaji (*) as Jack
- Omar Chaparro and Kenta Miyake as Sebastian
- Bill Nighy and Hiroshi Naka (*) as Howard Clifford
- Chris Greene and Shin-ichirō Miki (*) as Roger Clifford
- Rita Ora and Megumi Hayashibara (*) as Dr. Ann Laurent
Cameos
- Thomas Weslet Pentz "Diplo" Jr. as Himself. Dubbed by Kaito Ishikawa (*)
- Ryoma Takeuchi as a Trainer with Red Jacket
Pokémon
Main
- Ikue Ōtani as Detective Pikachu (Harry’s) (normal voice)
- Rikako Aikawa (*) as Psyduck (Lucy's)
- Snubbull (Detective Yoshida's)
- Kōichi Yamadera and Sayaka Kinoshita (*) as Mewtwo
- Suki Waterhouse and Wakana Kingyo (*) as ”Ms. Norman”/“Howard Clifford”/Ditto (Howard’s)
- Charizard (Sebastian’s)
Cameos
- Bulbasaur (multiple)
- Venusaur
- Charmander
- Charizard
- Squirtle
- Blastoise
- Pidgeot
- Rattata
- Growlithe
- Arcanine
- Machamp
- Graveler
- Doduo
- Dodrio
- Gengar
- Kingler
- Cubone
- Lickitung
- Mr. Mime
- Magikarp > Gyarados
- Eevee > Flareon (Howard’s)
- Michele Knotz and Mika Kanai (*) as Jigglypuff
- Jigglypuff (multiple)
- Snorlax
- Totodile
- Togepi
- Aipom
- Sneasel
- Octillery
- Treecko
- Ludicolo
- Slaking
- Loudred
- Torterra
- Purrloin
- Audino
- Emolga
- Joltik
- Golurk
- Bouffalant
- Rufflet
- Braviary
- Greninja
- Flabébé
- Pancham
- Pangoro
- Morelull
- Comfey
Featured as Signs, Posters and Statues
- Charizard (balloon)
- Squirtle (balloon)
- Jigglypuff (poster & balloon)
- Primeape (poster)
- Dewong (sign)
- Gengar (balloon)
- Hypno (poster)
- Tangela (sign)
- Kangaskhan (sign)
- Articuno (poster)
- Dragonite (poster)
- Mew (sign)
- Wooper (sign)
- Unown (sign)
- Steelix (poster)
- Blaziken (poster)
- Kyogre (balloon)
- Rayquaza (poster)
- Dialga (statue)
- Palkia (statue)
- Arceus (statue)
- Victini (sign)
- Petilil (sign)
- Reshiram (poster)
- Zekrom (poster)
- Swirlix (sign)
- Goomy (sign)
Trivia
- This is the 22nd Pokémon film to date.
- This will be the first live-action hybrid Pokémon film made, with the Pokémon are all rendered in much more realistic after being motion captured.
- This will be Nintendo's second attempt to bring one of their IP's to life in a live action movie; the first being Super Mario Bros.
- Due to an English-language cast appearing, this will be the first Pokémon film to be produced in English rather than Japanese.
- The logo was unveiled during the Pokémon TCG World Championships.
- Set photos revealed that the movie will take place in Ryme City, the setting of the game it is based on.
- The first time ever where Pikachu speaks full English within the first release, due to the release date confirmed to be international instead of Japan first before being localized.
- With the announcement of Henry Jackman composing its music score,[7] this will be the ninth Pokémon film to have its music score composed by an English-language composer after the English dubs of Pokémon: The First Movie, Pokémon: The Movie 2000, Pokémon 3: The Movie, Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction, Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages, Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel, Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, and Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us.
- RJ Palmer, mostly known for drawing realistic Pokémon online, was hired for the movie's production artist board after one of the directors of the film had searched up "Realistic Pokémon".
- A TCG set is set to be released alongside the movie with realistic CG Pokémon graphics from the movie as the card art.
- Despite the film not releasing at the time, the movie was set for a sequel/prequel as announced in January 2019. The current release date of the second film is unknown.
- This is the first Pokémon film to receive a PG rating from the MPAA.[8]
- Thus, it is also the first Pokémon film to have even been designated an MPAA rating since the G-rated traditionally-animated Pokémon Heroes.
- This is the first Pokémon film not to feature Ash Ketchum nor his Pikachu, as it focuses on a different Pikachu and a different human protagonist.
- This is the first Pokémon film to be produced in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio, unlike all of the animated Pokémon films, which have been produced in 1.85:1.
Gallery
Trailers and clips
Trailers
TV spots
References
- ^ a b Report: Wikipedia Pokémon: Detective Pikachu
- ^ Press release "Legendary Entertainment and The Pokémon Company to create live action film franchise based on detective Pikachu character" (July 20, 2016)
- ^ Report: 'Guardians of the Galaxy’ and ‘Gravity Falls’ Writers to Pen ‘Pokemon’ Movie (August 16, 2016)
- ^ Report: Pokemon Movie 'Detective Pikachu' Lands Director (November 30, 2016)
- ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5884052/videoplayer/vi1137031961?ref_=tt_pv_vi_aiv_1
- ^ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/detective-pikachu-sequel-works-1179211
- ^ https://twitter.com/ImAFilmEditor/status/1053807303156129792 Henry Jackman will score Pokémon: Detective Pikachu
- ^ https://comicbook.com/anime/2019/03/06/detective-pikachu-rating-pokemon/ 'Detective Pikachu' Gets Official PG Rating