While video game power house Pokemon has been churning out animated features, ever since 1998’s Pokemon: The First Movie, on both the big screen and direct to DVD, the prospect of a live-action version of the multi-million dollar franchise has been the stuff dreams and fan videos on the Internet are made of. But now it seems dream might be coming through, with The Hollywood Reporter revealing that a top secret auction is taking place, with Legendary Pictures, Warner Bros., and Sony fighting over the rights to bring Pikachu and all the other 721 (and counting) Pocket Monsters to the big screen.
According to the publication, Legendary is close to sealing the deal, which has already stirred up tensions, with The Nitendo spun off The Pokemon Co. being a Japanese outfit, and Legendary being a division of China’s Dalian Wanda Group. As we all know, those two countries haven’t been on the best of terms in the past. But whoever does end up landing the rights will a potential box office juggernaut on their hands. Since the series began in 1996, it has sold 279 million units, marking it as one of the best selling video games franchise in history. You just have to look at the sheer number of games to fans hunger for it, from all the iterations of Pokemon proper (Red, Blue, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, X, Y, etc) to Pokemon Pinball, first person shooter (with a camera) Pokemon Snap, the current fighting game Pokken Tournament, and the upcoming AR game for iOS and Android, Pokemon Go. Not to mention that the animated t.v. series, which spawned the first movie, is still ongoing. Done right (and god help the studio that doesn’t), a live action Pokemon could spawn a never ending slew of sequels, and even, as is the style of the time, a shared universe.
According to the publication, Legendary is close to sealing the deal, which has already stirred up tensions, with The Nitendo spun off The Pokemon Co. being a Japanese outfit, and Legendary being a division of China’s Dalian Wanda Group. As we all know, those two countries haven’t been on the best of terms in the past. But whoever does end up landing the rights will a potential box office juggernaut on their hands. Since the series began in 1996, it has sold 279 million units, marking it as one of the best selling video games franchise in history. You just have to look at the sheer number of games to fans hunger for it, from all the iterations of Pokemon proper (Red, Blue, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, X, Y, etc) to Pokemon Pinball, first person shooter (with a camera) Pokemon Snap, the current fighting game Pokken Tournament, and the upcoming AR game for iOS and Android, Pokemon Go. Not to mention that the animated t.v. series, which spawned the first movie, is still ongoing. Done right (and god help the studio that doesn’t), a live action Pokemon could spawn a never ending slew of sequels, and even, as is the style of the time, a shared universe.
