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Hollywood Reporter: Legendary Greenlights Pokémon: Detective Pikachu Sequel Film

The entertainment news website The Hollywood Reporter reported on Friday that Legendary Entertainment has started work on a sequel for it and Warner Bros.' upcoming live-action Pokémon Detective Pikachu film. The site reports that Legendary has brought on Oren Uziel (upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog film, The Clover Paradox, 22 Jump Street) to pen the sequel's script.

The first film is slated to debut in the United States on May 10, and will also open in Japan in May. Warner Bros. will distribute the film in North America and TOHO will distribute the film in Japan.

Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) will play Detective Pikachu. Justice Smith (The Get Down) will star as Tim Goodman, a teen who teams with Pikachu in order to find his missing father. Kathryn Newton (Big Little Lies) will play the "sassy journalist" Lucy. Ken Watanabe (Legendary's Godzilla) will play original character Detective Yoshida. Bill Nighy (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Love Actually), Chris Geere (You're the Worst), Suki Waterhouse (Assassination Nation), Rita Ora (Fifty Shades Freed), and Omar Chaparro (Stuck, Overboard 2018) are also part of the cast.

Rob Letterman (Shark Tale, Monsters vs. Aliens, Goosebumps) is directing the film, with scripts by Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Letterman.

The film is based on the Detective Pikachu Nintendo 3DS game, which debuted in Japan in 2016. An extended version shipped in the West in March 2018.

Legendary Entertainment acquired the live-action film rights for the Pokémon franchise in July 2016.

Update: Alex Hirsh confirmed on Twitter in November that he did not write the script for the first film. Thanks, Thaumana.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter (Borys Kit)