Ryan Reynolds will star in a live-action Pokemon film called "Detective Pikachu." He will take the title role alongside "The Get Down" star Justice Smith and Kathryn Newton of "Big Little Lies" fame.
Reynolds, who recently found success in the superhero comedy "Deadpool," was apparently signed on to star as the titular "Detective Pikachu" in the live action film.
The story will follow Detective Pikachu as he helps a young boy find his missing father. Newton will play a journalist who will eventually help the two in their search.
Legendary Entertainment will produce the film. It will be directed by Rob Letterman, who is known for such films as "Shark Tale," "Monsters vs. Aliens," and "Gulliver's Travels."
While fans may get excited about the prospect of seeing the actor on-screen again, the movie will most likely never feature the actor's appearance. According to sources from The Hollywood Reporter, Reynolds' Pikachu gig will mostly be done with motion capture.
Reynolds will likely lend his voice to Pikachu, though, and gone may be the days when Pikachu can only say his name. This would not be the first time that Reynolds lends his voice to animated features. He has appeared in "Family Guy" (as himself) and the Dreamworks animation "The Croods."
The actor was not always the favorite prospect for the role of Pikachu. Fans have expressed that they wanted "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" star Danny Devito to star as the title character. However, Devito was once approached by a reporter asking if he can play Pikachu and his answer was an outright "no."
Aside from Reynolds, Newton, and Smith's casting, Legendary has been keeping a pretty tight lid on the details about "Detective Pikachu." The filmmakers have not yet announced a release date.
The character Pikachu first came into popularity due to the success of the "Pokemon" animated series. That show, in turn, was based on the now-popular Nintendo game franchise of the same name.
