Can you imagine Deadpool as Pikachu? In the new Pokémon movie, Ryan Reynolds takes on the role of Detective Pikachu.
Pokémon fans can rejoice, as a new film in the franchise is on the way. The live-action Pokémon movie revolves around Detective Pikachu, played by Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds. Filming for the movie is set to begin early next year.
The Pikachu adventure is produced by Legendary Entertainment, who also contributed to the WoW film “Warcraft: The Beginning”.
The trigger for the deal was the massive Pokémon hype that broke out in the summer of 2016 when Pokémon GO was released. The contract was signed two weeks after the launch of Pokémon GO. No wonder: the value of the franchise significantly increased due to the augmented reality sensation.
Ryan Reynolds as Detective Pikachu
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the Deadpool actor has signed on for the role of the yellow investigator. Detective Pikachu is based on an adventure for the 3DS that was released exclusively in Japan in February of last year. It was the latest Pokémon game for handhelds when Legendary secured the film rights the following summer during the hype around Pokémon GO.
In the game, you play as a child exploring the world and trying to solve mysteries. You will be accompanied by a Pikachu wearing a Sherlock Holmes hat.
The curious part is that Reynolds is now playing the role of Pikachu. His movements will be digitized and later transformed onto a digital Pikachu. Similar to Andy Serkis’s role as Gollum.
Alongside Reynolds, Justice Smith (seen in the upcoming Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) plays an important role. The character Smith plays has his father kidnapped, which leads Smith to reach out to Detective Pikachu. Together, they want to find the father.
Expectations for the film project are high, as the Pokémon franchise has sold over 300 million video games worldwide and produced an anime series with 20 seasons.
Moreover, well-known figures are involved in the film. The screenplay was written by Nicole Perlman (known as co-writer for “Guardians of the Galaxy” and writer for “Captain Marvel”) and Alex Hirsch (known for the series “Gravity Falls” on the Disney Channel). The director is Rob Letterman (known from “Goosebumps”).
“Ryan, you should play Pokémon GO as Deadpool”
A Facebook user had the idea shortly after the movie announcement in the summer of 2016 that Ryan Reynolds should play Pokémon GO as Deadpool. He wrote this to the actor on his Facebook timeline.
This definitely makes his joy even greater now when he hears about the filming.
In 2016, Reynolds portrayed the comic book character Wade Wilson in the Deadpool film. He received good reviews for his role as the controversial hero. For a comic that was long considered unfilmable, the creators managed to combine a successful mix of geek comedy and superhero spectacle on screen. With Ryan Reynolds, who seemed made for the controversial anti-hero. Will that also hold true for Pikachu? The combination of the screenwriter from Guardians of the Galaxy and Ryan Reynolds could also indicate a humorous, controversial film.
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