Hello again. While I am still mulling over what to do next for my detoxing from Yo-Kai Watch; I have noticed the fact that Pokémon Go has set a new record and become the most successful mobile phone game ever, further cementing the 20th anniversary as a milestone for the series.
With the news of this development; the previous mention of the live-action Pokémon movie has been further stoked, with Legendary Pictures being the presumed frontrunner in the bidding war for the rights; closely followed by Warner Bros. and Sony.
There are also unconfirmed rumors of Max Landis (Chronicle) being attached to write the script; as well as Asa Butterfeld as a possible choice to play Ash. While I would prefer to have someone of Japanese descent play Ash, I do concede Butterfeld might make a good Gary Oak or Ritchie. As for Landis: it definitely is possible to make a compelling story about the series; even with anime and video game adaptations having a somewhat shaky track record. As I said before, I will be all right as long as the story, cast and director are good.
On a more broad level; I would suggest you wouldn't have to make the film like Transformers; wherein the robots are routinely shot, stabbed and ripped apart. Nor would the Pokémon have to be all "juiced" like the live-action Transformers (and now the rebooted Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). That said; it's definitely possible to make Pikachu and the others work in live-action, since special effects have reached a level where a wisecracking; gun-toting raccoon and a talking tree can be turned into movie stars.
With 20 years of video games, anime, manga and 19 other films under its belt (with the 20th being teased for next year); Pokémon has not only joined Mario, Zelda and Metroid among Nintendo's biggest names, it is now on the same pop cultural order of magnitude as Star Wars or the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In addition to The Force Awakens showcasing the power of nostalgia as a marketing tool; with heroes such as Ant-Man and Doctor Strange entering the fray, I would suggest it's totally feasible that we could rally behind a movie about a 10-year-old capturing all sorts of creatures and having them do battle.
I will continue to bring you any information as I get it. See you, space cowboy.
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