Detective Pikachu 2 Director, Writer And More Details
2019's action-comedy romp "Pokémon: Detective Pikachu," a loose adaptation of the Nintendo 3DS game of the same name, was a smash hit. It was a bit of a risky prospect to bring the Pokémon franchise into the world of live-action, but thanks to excellent CGI work, deft direction from Rob Letterman, and a spot-on voice turn from the always dependable Ryan Reynolds, the flick worked marvelously.
It also made a freaking ton of money, so of course, "Detective Pikachu 2" was all but inevitable. It's been reported that studio Legendary is currently kicking around ideas for an entire slate of live-action "Pokémon" films, and it's possible that some of these will be centered on characters we were introduced to in "Detective Pikachu." So far, we don't have a lot of details, but let's break down everything we do know about "Detective Pikachu 2," and we'll also engage in a little speculation.
When will Detective Pikachu 2 be released?
According to ComicBook.com, the Pokémon Company — which granted Legendary Entertainment permission for all of the characters used in "Detective Pikachu" — wasn't always so keen on the studio fielding a live-action Pokémon universe. As the production of "Detective Pikachu" progressed, however, the company's brass liked what they saw. And after the flick scored over $430 million dollars at the worldwide box office, Legendary essentially got the green light to move ahead on the "Pokéverse," as we're going to call it until someone tells us to stop.
Rumors abound that Legendary is developing a spin-off focused on Mewtwo, and that the studio is also kicking around the idea of adapting the story lines of the iconic video games "Pokemon Red" and "Pokemon Blue" for the big screen. But "Detective Pikachu 2" is the priority, so at the very least, we know that we'll be seeing the sequel before any spin-offs come to fruition. When might that be? Well, between announcement and release, it took "Detective Pikachu" about three years to reach screens. About four years have now passed since Legendary ordered a sequel, and according to IMDb, "Detective Pikachu 2" is scheduled for release sometime in 2024. However, that's not official, and we'll keep you updated when we learn something more solid.
What is the plot of Detective Pikachu 2?
Since the movie in question is in development under the name "Detective Pikachu 2," it's safe to assume that it's a direct sequel. It may almost certainly follow the continuing adventures of some of the characters from the first movie (particularly some iteration of Pikachu) as another mystery gets solved.
It's not yet public knowledge when "Detective Pikachu 2" takes place, but there's a possibility that the upcoming film could be a sequel that explores the history of the fully-realized world of Ryme City, as depicted in the original film. Perhaps, in order to solve a mystery in the present, Tim, Harry, and Pikachu will have to dive into the city's origins and explore the actual nature of the relationship between humans and Pokémon. Or, it could be that one of Harry's past cases will inform his approach to one that the trio are currently tackling. This is all heavy speculation for the time being, and all signs still point to "Detective Pikachu 2" being a straightforward continuation of the predecessor film's story, or an expansion of the world so elaborately established.
Who is starring in Detective Pikachu 2?
As of this moment, Legendary hasn't released any information about the cast of "Detective Pikachu 2." No actors new to the franchise have signed on, and it's unclear if any of the first film's cast will return. Ryan Reynolds voiced the title character in the original movie, but the circumstances of the plot may preclude the actor's return. Deadline reported that he could be involved in the sequel in some way, although that could feasibly be in a behind-the-scenes capacity.
The film's central live-action actor, Justice Smith, portrayed Tim Goodman, a young man who employs the assistance of Detective Pikachu to search for his missing father. There might not be a role in the sequel for Smith, as production has proceeded without the actor's knowledge. "I've heard rumors that they might be doing a second one, but I don't know if I'm a part of it," Smith told ScreenRant in April 2023.
Who is writing and directing Detective Pikachu 2?
Work on the sequel to "Detective Pikachu" got underway about three months before "Detective Pikachu" hit theaters in 2019. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news in January 2019 that Legendary Entertainment had signed screenwriter Oren Uziel — best known at the time for "22 Jump Street" — to craft the screenplay for the video game sequel movie. While Uziel was still listed as the sole writer on the film's IMDb page well into 2023, producers changed course somewhere over the previous years, because in March 2023, Deadline reported that the film would shoot from a script penned by Chris Galletta, author of the 2013 indie dramedy "The Kings of Summer."
"Detective Pikachu" director Rob Letterman will not return to the same job on the sequel. Instead, "Detective Pikachu 2" will mark the feature film directorial debut of Jonathan Krisel, a writer and director for some of the most innovative and acclaimed television comedy series of the last decade, including "Portlandia," "Baskets," and "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!"