Live-Action Pokémon Movie Possibly In The Works

[TurtleTitan97]

Oh boy.

Sony, Warner Bros., and Legendary are currently engaging in a "top-secret auction" for the rights to make a Live-Action film based on the Pokémon franchise: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...ing-war-884207

Can Chinese and Japanese companies come together over a hot children's property?

A top-secret auction for film rights to the Pokemon franchise is nearing completion with Thomas Tull’s Legendary Entertainment attempting to nudge aside Warner Bros., which has pursued the property aggressively, according to sources. Sony also is said to be very interested.

A spokesperson for Legendary, which since January is a division of China's Dalian Wanda Group, declined to comment. But the notion of a Chinese-owned company acquiring a beloved Japanese property could raise a stir given historic tensions between the two countries.

The Pokemon Co., the Japanese outfit that manages the rights to the franchise spun from the hit Nintendo game, has been courting Hollywood to launch a big-budget live-action movie. Warner Bros. was among the early favorites to take on the task, considering it already released the animated Pokemon: The First Movie in 1999 (it grossed $165 million worldwide) and two low-budget sequels.

However, Legendary has now emerged as a potential victor to bring Pikachu and other Pokemon characters to theaters, according to a source. And that could pose a potential problem considering Legendary's ownership by the Chinese real estate and investment conglomerate Wanda. There have been long simmering political tensions between Beijing and Tokyo, which most recently peaked with Japan’s criticism of China’s territorial ambitions in the South China Sea. Those pressures have also led to a cultural strain between the two countries in which China effectively banned Japanese films for three years, which was only recently broken.

Legendary, for its part, already has made inroads into Japan’s film industry. Tull’s company, in partnership with Warner Bros., brought Godzilla to the big screen in 2014 in tandem with Japan’s Toho Co. (which owns the rights to the iconic monster and, coincidentally, made the animated Pokemon films). Legendary and Warner Bros. plan to release other movies in the franchise, including Kong: Skull Island next year, Godzilla 2 in 2018 and later Godzilla Vs. Kong.

Warner Bros. and Sony declined to comment.

[The Deadman]

So live action actors with CGI Pokemon. K then.

[MikeandRaph87]

Why do I sense it will be like the way off from source material joke that Dragonball:Revolution was?

[Powder]

NOOOOOOOOOOO. Don't do this.

[snake]

God, I just know they're going to do disgusting hyper realistic designs. Hopefully if something comes out of it, they keep the pokemon designs identical to the games.

[Wildcat]

I would love to see this if they didn't change too much. It's already elaborate enough to make a good movie out of.

The pokemon themselves would vary. I mean there's no way they can all be cute and they shouldn't. They're not anyway. A lot are based on wild and mythical animals. Pikachu and some of the smaller ones could remain cute.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

April Fools was fourteen days ago, guys!

[CyberCubed]

Let me guess, they'll base it on the anime with Ash/Misty/Brock and have them as teenagers or 20 year olds instead of 10 year olds, and have Mewtwo as the antagonist...so loosely based on the first movie from 20 years ago.

Ash won't be Asian but instead some white boy, Misty will be played by Megan Fox, and Brock's eyes obviously won't look like the anime.

Its whitewashing at its finest, especially since the cast is meant to be Japanese.

[TonySiegel]

hahaha wow

we have yet to get an RPG style 3d open world game...

but a movie will have to do for now???

dragon ball z the movie 2.0

[Cure]

I'd watch it.

[CyberCubed]

I don't understand why Nintendo is pushing for this either, this obviously isn't something the Japanese want because annual Pokemon movies still release in theaters over there. The 19th pokemon movie about Volcanion is coming this July for example.

Plus since it will be made for Americans, you can tell they'll go full nostalgia mode with it and base it on the anime with Ash/Misty/Brock. You guys know good and well they would try to reap 90's nostalgia with it as much as possible.

Watch Ash not be Japanese and be a white boy. Also since don't know how they're going to do it since Ash and co. are 10 years old with Brock only a teenager...are they going to cast actual 10 year olds or just make them in their teens or 20's? I think they'd probably do the latter. *shudders*

[ZariusTwo]

If they go the Kanto route, we might get a nostalgia-based filler season for the anime where Misty and Brock return so Japan can cash in.

[AT-Man]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Let me guess, they'll base it on the anime with Ash/Misty/Brock and have them as teenagers or 20 year olds instead of 10 year olds, and have Mewtwo as the antagonist...so loosely based on the first movie from 20 years ago.

Ash won't be Asian but instead some white boy, Misty will be played by Megan Fox, and Brock's eyes obviously won't look like the anime.

Its whitewashing at its finest, especially since the cast is meant to be Japanese.

Ash and Misty will be white, and Brock will be black. You just know it, did you really think there could be any other option?

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I don't understand why Nintendo is pushing for this either, this obviously isn't something the Japanese want because annual Pokemon movies still release in theaters over there. The 19th pokemon movie about Volcanion is coming this July for example.

Plus since it will be made for Americans, you can tell they'll go full nostalgia mode with it and base it on the anime with Ash/Misty/Brock. You guys know good and well they would try to reap 90's nostalgia with it as much as possible.

Watch Ash not be Japanese and be a white boy. Also since don't know how they're going to do it since Ash and co. are 10 years old with Brock only a teenager...are they going to cast actual 10 year olds or just make them in their teens or 20's? I think they'd probably do the latter. *shudders*

If they're gonna turn them into teenagers or young adults... then you can bet that Ash and Misty will make out near the end of the film.

Just another thing to pretend it never existed, if it sees the light of the day, that is. I know that DBZ fans like to ignore that live action movie existence.

I don't know why people would wanna see this, though. I guess many are gullible thinking it looks good on paper. That or they like to see very different interpretations of their favorite franchises. I mean, if all you do is want a nostalgia flashback then watch a couple of early Pokémon episodes or buy RBY in the Nintendo eShop. It's not exactly a non-accessible franchise we're talking about here.

That being said, Misty hasn't been a main character since what? 2002? It seems to me that the Pokémon anime changes the main girl character every generation. That seems to be its formula. And while RBY is still the highest selling generation, it's not like DP or or BW have sold poorly.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

If they go the Kanto route, we might get a nostalgia-based filler season for the anime where Misty and Brock return so Japan can cash in.

I don't think the anime writers would remotely care what an American based live-action pokemon movie will do.

[The Deadman]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I don't understand why Nintendo is pushing for this either, this obviously isn't something the Japanese want because annual Pokemon movies still release in theaters over there. The 19th pokemon movie about Volcanion is coming this July for example.

Plus since it will be made for Americans, you can tell they'll go full nostalgia mode with it and base it on the anime with Ash/Misty/Brock. You guys know good and well they would try to reap 90's nostalgia with it as much as possible.

Watch Ash not be Japanese and be a white boy. Also since don't know how they're going to do it since Ash and co. are 10 years old with Brock only a teenager...are they going to cast actual 10 year olds or just make them in their teens or 20's? I think they'd probably do the latter. *shudders*

Man you care way too much about whether or not Ash will be white...

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by The Deadman

Man you care way too much about whether or not Ash will be white...

Because Ash is supposed to be Japanese. They'll probably cast a white boy though.

[Powder]

Originally Posted by The Deadman

Man you care way too much about whether or not Ash will be white...

More people should, don't shame the guy who speaks against white-washing.

The kid's name is Satoshi...

[Aaronardo]

I seem to remember something about Michael Bay being called to direct this movie. Hope it isn't true, but I wouldn't be surprised if that happens.

[TurtleTitan97]

Originally Posted by Aaronardo

I seem to remember something about Michael Bay being called to direct this movie. Hope it isn't true, but I wouldn't be surprised if that happens.

Considering a studio hasn't even been announced to produce this, I find that bit of news highly doubtful.