Detective Pikachu was a groundbreaking step forward for the Pokemon franchise, where it presented live-action pocket monsters to fuss over. Now Netflix is developing a live-action Pokemon series, but will it follow the 2019 film’s lead?

Aside from the Ryan Reynolds-led part comedy, part nostalgia fest, there was only a live-action short that appeared before Detective Pikachu, narrating a crueler world of Pokemon where the ‘mons were made to fight for sport. 

Netflix’s adaptation could lean on this dark premise, but it could also be some sort of a sequel to Detective Pikachu.

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Is the Live-Action Series Different from Detective Pikachu?

Variety reported that Netflix was currently in the early development stage of a new Pokemon journey, with Lucifer co-showrunner Joe Henderson attached to produce. However, Netflix has yet to announce this.

Reportedly, the only connection that the series will have to Detective Pikachu is its live-action concept, where Pokemon will be designed and animated to look like creatures that could exist in the real world. Detective Pikachu’s hyper-realistic textures propelled the franchise’s creatures into a new generation, leaving behind their 2D representations found in the beloved anime or trading card art.

Aside from the live-action similarities, it would appear as if the series will have no narrative connection to the film. Netflix’s merit in developing original shows has piqued Pokemon fans’ interest, as they are curious to know what path the series will take, what characters will be involved, and more importantly, what Pokemon will be included this time.

Warner Bros.

What Could the Netflix Pokemon Series Be About?

If you’ve been a subscriber of Netflix’s for long enough, you will know all about the streaming service’s taste for gritty, compelling shows. Fans should definitely prepare to leave behind the comforting world of kawaii Pokemon, and ready themselves for something darker and different to anything gone before.

The Pokemon anime has always been a children’s show with a vanilla, happy-ever-after formula and Detective Pikachu also played by those rules. It’s unlikely that Netflix will want to recycle old themes laid out in the anime, and it will also want to separate itself from Detective Pikachu if it is indeed an independent project. Therefore, we could be about to embark on a more down-to-earth adaptation, exploring how the Pokemon survive in the real world and how their trainers interact with them.

Warner Bros.