News

2018 Pokémon Film's Trailer Reveals Title, New Characters

The official website for the Pokémon anime films began streaming a trailer and teaser for the 2018 Pokémon film on Tuesday. The videos reveal the 21st Pokémon film's title: Gekijōban Pocket Monster: Minna no Monogatari (Pokémon the Movie: Everyone's StoRy), as well as some of the film's cast. The site also unveiled a new visual.

The tagline on the visual reads, "Even what I can't do alone, as long as I'm with you …" The StoRy is set during the annual Wind Festival at Frau City, which is blessed with wind from the Legendary Pokémon Lugia.

The video introduces the film's new characters, which include: Risa, a Pokémon newbie; Kagachi, a man with a tendency to boast; Torito, a timid researcher; Hisui, a strange old lady; and Rarugo, a mysterious girl.

The film's returning cast includes:

• Rica Matsumoto as Satoshi
• Ikue Ōtani as Satoshi's Pikachu
• Megumi Hayashibara as Musashi
• Shinichirō Miki as Kojiro
• Inuko Inuyama as Nyarth
• Unshō Ishizuka as Narrator

The video also reveals some more of the film's staff. Kunihiko Yuyama, who has directed many of the earlier Pokémon films, including last year's Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, is returning as animation supervisor. Eiji Umehara (Grimoire of Zero, Beelzebub scriptwriter) and Aya Takaha are writing the script.

The new film will open in theaters in Japan on July 13. Lugia will appear in the film.

Wit Studio (Attack on Titan, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress) will handle animation production along with the franchise's mainstay studio Oriental Light and Magic. Tetsuo Yajima, the assistant director of this year's Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, is returning to direct the next film, and Shizue Kaneko (If Her Flag Breaks, Pan de Peace!) is designing the characters.

Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! (Gekijōban Pocket Monster: Kimi ni Kimeta!), the previous film in the franchise, had its world premiere at the Japan Expo 2017 event in Paris on July 6. The movie then opened in Japan on July 15 and earned 516 million yen (about US$4.61 million) in its first two days to rank at #1 at the box office.

Source: Comic Natalie