Pokemon Live-Action Flick To Go Out In 2017

Following the cracking success of the Pokemon Go game, a live-action Pokemon movie is now being fast-tracked for a 2017 release date. China's Legendary Entertainment has acquired the rights to the Pokemon movie, which according to THR, will be based on Detective Pikachu, a new character in the Pokemon universe.

Pokemon was introduced in Japan in 1996 and has sold 279 million video games worldwide with 21.5 billion cards shipped to 74 countries, and an animated series spanning 19 seasons. The hugely popular Pokemon Go app recently saw the pocket monsters surge back into the pop culture consciousnesses. The Pokemon deal was brokered by Don McGowan at The Pokemon Company International, who led the negotiations with outside counsel Dan Black of Greenberg Traurig. Marty Willhite, Daniel Feinberg and Mike Ross represented the studio.

Universal Pictures will handle distribution of the live-action film outside Japan as it has done with Legendary’s other films for years. The Pokemon Company’s long time movie collaborator, Toho, will handle distribution of the film franchise in Japan, as it had similarly done in its partnership with Legendary on the reboot for the Godzilla franchise.

pokemon.com