Lucifer Meets Pikachu: Netflix Orders Live-Action Pokemon Series
If you want to catch ’em all, make sure you have Netflix.
Variety is reporting that the streaming service has ordered a live action Pokémon series. The project was just announced, so no details are available about the plot. Their sources do say Joe Henderson, currently the showrunner for Lucifer, has been tapped to write and executive produce the show. Henderson is also the executive producer on the Satanic Netflix series, which will wrap up its sixth and final season beginning in September.
Sources also say that the project will look a lot like the Detective Pikachu film starring Ryan Reynolds and Justice Smith that was released back in 2019.
The move to develop an original Netflix Pokémon series comes as the streamer has made itself the home to multiple existing Pokemon shows, including Pokémon: Indigo League and Pokémon Journeys among others.
Netflix has been adding a lot of anime and live action adaptations of anime series to their library. They have already announced original series based on Far Cry, Splinter Cell, and Terminator. Also announced are live-action shows based on Cowboy Bebop and One Piece. The streamer previously released a live-action Death Note film in 2017.
Henderson is rather busy these days; in addition to Lucifer and the upcoming Pokémon project, he is currently developing a series adaptation of his comic book Shadecraft, also for Netflix. Henderson penned the comic, working alongside artist Lee Garbett. Henderson is co-writing the pilot of that project with Georgia Lee, with both also executive producing. Garbett will produce.
Henderson has also worked on shows such as Stephen King’s 11.22.63 at Hulu along with Graceland and White Collar for the USA Network.
The Pokemon franchise has been an unstoppable worldwide phenomenon for more than 25 years, first launching in 1995. It now encompasses multiple television shows, films, video games, the highly profitable augmented reality game Pokémon Go, the trading card game, books, manga comics, and much more. A live action show looks to be a safe bet as Detective Pikachu was a hit, grossing over $430 million worldwide, well over its reported budget of $150 million.
No projected premiere date for the series has been announced.