Live Action Netflix Pokemon Series Announced

Netflix is said to be working on a live action Pokemon series for the platform, Variety reports.

In their report, they attached Lucifer’s Joe Henderson as writer and executive producer. Reportedly, the series is also looking to replicate the success of Detective Pikachu, the live action Pokemon movie starring Ryan Reynolds.

Netflix hasn’t commented on the reports yet, so we don’t know things like a possible release date, cast or even if the project is really happening at all. Suffice to say though, every person who’s ever commented that they want a darker more “realistic” Pokemon might finally get their shot if this project sees the light of day.

That being said, we do know they’re aware of the popularity of Pokemon, at least a little. Seasons of the anime are currently available on the platform, as well as the aforementioned Detective Pikachu.

Where Detective Pikachu Succeeded

What we do know though, is what the project will need to succeed. Part of what gave Detective Pikachu the goodwill it got was how it designed the Pokemon. While ostensibly more “realistic”, they didn’t push too far into that realm, keeping a lot of the Pokemon’s more cartoony proportions, only fleshing them out with more subtle details like eyelids or irises.

There’s also the setting- Detective Pikachu was barely a Pokemon movie as much as it was a movie with Pokemon in it. The basic premise of its plot, a small-town boy going to a big city to look for his missing dad, could have existed with or without the Pokemon elements. If Netflix feels the need to reintroduce one of the most successful IPs of the past almost-three-decades to their audiences, the series could be headed for a bad time.

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