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Hollywood Reporter: Legendary, Warner, Sony Bid for Live-Action Pokémon Rights
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
Entertainment news source The Hollywood Reporter said on Thursday that Legendary Entertainment, Warner Bros., and Sony are engaged in an auction for the live-action film rights to the Pokémon franchise. The report notes that the auction is nearing completion.
Warner already released several of the animated Pokémon films, starting with Pokémon: The First Movie in North American theaters in 1999. Warner then released Pokémon 2000 - The Movie and 2001's Pokémon 3 - The Movie.
Legendary licensed the Godzilla film rights, and produced Gareth Edwards' 2014 Godzilla film, which opened in the United States in May 2014, and earned over US$500 million worldwide. The Godzilla 2 sequel film is slated for June 8, 2018. Legendary Pictures and Warner's Godzilla vs. King Kong is slated for a 2020 release.
Chinese company Dalian Wanda Group recently acquired a majority stake in Legendary Entertainment in January.
The latest film in the Pokémon franchise is Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages (Pokémon the Movie XY: Ring no Chōmajin Hoopa), which premiered in Japan in July last year. A new film titled Pokémon the Movie XY & Z: Volcanion to Karakuri no Magearna is slated to open in Japan on July 16.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter (Kim Masters)
