Netflix is looking to gobble up as many popular IPs as they can. So far, they’ve tackled Castlevania and Masters of the Universe, and have series based on Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, Resident Evil, and the Terminator franchise on the horizon. But they’ve recently set their sights on yet another long-running property that has a rabid fanbase: Pokémon. And though the world already has several animated Pokémon as it is, for this latest incarnation, they’ve decided to go the live-action route.
This wouldn’t be the first time the world of Pokémon has been given the live-action treatment. That honor goes to 2019’s big-screen adaptation Detective Pikachu, which starred Justice Smith and Ryan Reynolds. However, tepid box office results kept Legendary Pictures from producing a sequel to the film, but that won’t stop Netflix from blazing forward with their own interpretation.
So far, nothing is known about the series since it’s far too early in the preproduction stages. However, Variety has reported that Joe Henderson is attached to the series as both writer and executive producer. Henderson is already a Netflix alum, having worked on the show Lucifer, which moved to Netflix after it was cancelled by Fox. Henderson was also a consulting producer on 11.22.63, the adaptation of the Stephen King novel for Hulu, and both co-executive produced and wrote numerous episodes of the USA series White Collar. Clearly, Henderson has a long reputation for quality in terms of live-action, but can he do a show based on a franchise popular with children justice?
Netflix’s choice to develop a new Pokémon seems to be a strong move to bolster its growing catalog of the franchise. Over the last few years, the streaming service acquired the rights to several Pokémon-related media, such as Pokémon: Indigo League, Pokémon The Movie: The Power of Us, and the four-part Pokémon Journeys: The Series. Though not a comprehensive catalog of Pokémon shows, Netflix sure has made themselves the go-to place for fans looking to get their fix of Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu.
It will surely be interesting to see where Netflix takes this new show. We won’t bother to speculate just yet as it’s far too early in the development process, but stick around with GeekAnything, and we’ll be sure to keep you updated on the progress of the series as the news breaks!
