Live-Action Pokémon Movie Possibly In The Works

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[The Deadman]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

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

I don't see what it matters. If the movie looks somewhat decent and the acting is good, who cares what color the skin of the actor is.

[CyberCubed]

Either way, whatever real life actors they cast will look nothing like the anime characters. There's no way they can duplicate Brock's eyes in live-action, etc.

I mean they could base it off the games with, "Red" but since they'll likely go for 90's nostalgia it'll probably be based on the anime.

[Prowler]

To be honest, Hollywood could possibly get away with turning those characters white or black easily since Pokémon, despite being a Japanese product, doesn't really have a setting that immediately tells you that it's Japanese. It's a fictional world(well there is also a region in Japan called Kanto...) with fictional creatures. And also, Pokémon has been localized to death that no one in North America or Europe knows the original names of the characters or many Pokémon. They only know their English names. Pokémon had to localize a lot of its naming due to all the puns, in order to make them understandable. In countries like Germany and France, they translate a lot of Pokémon names as well.

And considering this would be made by Americans, you know there'd be an outrage if everyone would be of the same race in this movie. It's like an unwritten rule that every American made stuff needs to have a representative or two of every major ethnic group residing in the country.

[CyberCubed]

Its weird Nintendo of America even wants this. Pokemon anime movies still come out annually in theaters in Japan, this year is the 19th movie about Volcanion.

Why would Nintendo even want a live-action movie? Certainly the Japanese don't want it which is why they've never done a live-action themselves over there.

[ssjup81]

Originally Posted by Prowler

To be honest, Hollywood could possibly get away with turning those characters white or black easily since Pokémon, despite being a Japanese product, doesn't really have a setting that immediately tells you that it's Japanese. It's a fictional world(well there is also a region in Japan called Kanto...) with fictional creatures.

True. Even Satoshi's hometown is probably based on Yamanashi...possibly (just my assumption). Kanto's region consists of places like Tokyo, Yokohama, Saitama, Chiba, etc. That aside, outside of the first series (Kanto) that referenced Japanese culture and things quite a bit, the others really don't so much and I guess that was done to make it easier to adapt or whatever, into other languages without having to change too much.

Orange Island eps I figured were based on the Izu Islands...Cinnabar being the most northern of them. Hoenn was based on Kyushu (ironically, where the two big quakes hit recently). Never mind. Still should be easy to adapt and make an English Pokemon movie given how localized it is.

And considering this would be made by Americans, you know there'd be an outrage if everyone would be of the same race in this movie. It's like an unwritten rule that every American made stuff needs to have a representative or two of every major ethnic group residing in the country.

Now this makes sense because the country is made up of many people with different backgrounds. It's annoying how people outside of the US always assume the country have white people only because of how our media is. I'm so sick of people thinking I'm from either South America or Africa as opposed to Canada, US, somewhere in the UK, etc., because I'm not white.

If they do a Pokemon movie, they should base it on X/Y since that was a multinational game.

Originally Posted by Prowler

And, in how many of those episodes, Team Rocket try to kidnap Pikachu and then are sent blasting off at the end?

You know, I rewatched some of the first series a while back. It felt more like the Rockets had some kind of scheme going on and would coincidentally come across Satoshi and his friends. It felt more like killing two birds with one stone. They continue whatever their scheme was while trying to get Pikachu too. Of course there were times where they purposely went after the Satoshi and his companions, but there were quite a bit of them that didn't and it was more like an opportunity. Like with the Cerulean ep, for example. They'd gotten to Cerulean way before Satoshi and the others did and they were planning on robbing the gym. Pikachu just happened to be there. Of course they'll get blasted off again or defeated because they're the bad guys...but I do wish they would have it more like what I mentioned. They just happen to run into the twerps and then try to capture their Pokemon.

Of course I'm really no expert in the anime. Aside from Kanto and the Orange Islands, I've never seen a Pokemon series in full because I'd end up losing interest at some point. The new series (X/Y), I just have no interest in since the game's story was kind of....stupid to me.

[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.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by TurtleTitan97

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

And even if Michael Bay directed this, it's a lot harder to permanently damage a property like Pokémon in the public eye than a property like TMNT. It would be forgotten quickly like that infamous live action DBZ movie that came out some years ago was.

Originally Posted by Powder

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

The kid's name is Satoshi...

You're right, but considering he's known as Ash Ketchum outside of Japan... don't be surprised that some not so smart people will have always assumed he to be a white guy. I can also see many "If Misty is Japanese than why is she a blue eyed redhead?!" comments of the sort from the general audience now.