Netflix Is Reportedly Working On A Live-Action Pokémon Series

I don't think I trust Netflix or whoever this director is with Pokémon. Best to stick with the animated series or something similar. If it isn't broken.. then don't fix it. Please.

please be good please be good
Detective Pikachu was surprisingly solid, but definitely a one-off, and it kind of doesn't need a sequel really. I just hope the series manages to be good if it's real.

Ok. I don't follow celebrities so I don't know Mr. Henderson's catalogue and I haven't seen Lucifer. From what I recall, it's a dramedy about a gay angel and devil couple on Earth or something? Anyone talented enough can make any range of entertainment for various genres I suppose, but Pokemon as a whole seems a departure to be working on.

Pokemon has dark, mature moments but it typically not in the limelight or what they want to focus on. You might have legit Mafia/Yakuza hybrid Team Rocket from the manga, gen 5 bombing a whole city's civilization D-Day style or gen 7's mental and familial trauma storylines between Lusamine's and Guzma's respective abuse, but by and large the forefront is kid-friendly happy-go-lucky childish adventures. The company pretty much never even wants to dip their toes into teen-rated territory for their games. So I dunno what they would even do with a syndicated live-action Pokemon series that isn't just a replication of the "Kid's First Anime" they already got going for the past 25-ish years.

Curious to say the least, but not particularly hopeful anything astounding will come out of this. Just confusing direction.

I actually enjoyed Detective Pikachu and was surprisingly one of the better video game live action adaptions. My biggest concern is amount of money that will go into this show and whether or not it will make it pass one season.

@Clod that’s….not what Lucifer is about…yeesh it feels like a 30 second google search before commenting would have been prudent

@Ks123 Would have, if I cared about the show. I hold no hopes or grievances for it, just recall the brain-dead complaints Twitter had about it on release and that's as far as my interaction with it. Either or, it's not important. What IS is how little it has to do with Pokemon's whole direction.

You could tell me the show's like NCIS or Star Trek or freaking Red Skeleton and I'm sure Pokemon fans would be left confused.

If thats the case I want lots and I mean lots of pokemon battles.

@Clod That is way off the mark regarding Lucifer, and I can tell you this from only having read the comics the show is based on without actually having seen the show lol

@Fujimoto-San I don't think they're trying to fix anything that isn't broken? What would that it be?

Now this is exciting. Hopefully it will have the same visual style as Detective Pikachu. The Pokemon's appearances in live-action were spot-on.

@TheFrenchiestFry And judging by the previous comment as well, I've found the show has fans still. I wasn't aware there even was a comic behind it, just a bunch of Twitter nonsense upon announcement about teaming up an angel and a devil being non-Christian or something ridiculous to get up in arms over. Oh that and Amazon changing all their boxes to ads for the show for a time. Which is probably where I'm remembering the gay thing from, what with the devil dude draped over the angel guy. Besides, wouldn't be the first show based on a comic outright changing large portions of it. Walking Dead, anyone?

Either or, whatever, it is so largely not the point I was making anyways. If for example they're assumedly going at all a bit more mature direction than the game or anime or Detective Pikachu for an on-going narrative or whatever, I'm left to wonder how long until they have to address the whole "Poke Ball = slavery" subtext.

@Fujimoto-San The Witcher and Castlevania came out quite well. No harm in trying.

There is no way this show will have the same budget as Detective Pikachu, so it will be interesting to see how good the CGI is.

@mr-duster I'm referring to the fact that not all things need to be re-made in live action. Pokémon has a great anime (despite a solid live action movie in Detective Pikachu) and I think it's best it remain that way. Not everything works in live action. Of course this is only an opinion.

@faint I agree actually. However Castlevania was an animated series. Not live action. I think that Pokémon works best in an animated setting but as you said The Witcher was a solid show and from what I hear it was a great one.

@Fujimoto-San I agree. Sometimes, the over-exaggerations of expression we are used to seeing in anime doesn’t translate to live action, at all.

@BloodNinja Exactly. Disney's live action remake of The Lion King is a great example of this. It's interesting but some franchises are better served through animated series/movies while others through live action shows/movies.

@Fujimoto-San I mean, Detective Pikachu was a pretty big success. There's always a chance this could be good, live-action or not.

Netflix doesn't really have the best track record in my eyes when it comes to shows. He-Man was a flop, She-Ra was a flop, Voltron was average at best, that new gay cartoon show is really just about stereotypes. I have my doubts.

Well this is just something else for them to ruin. They already ruined she-da, he-man and voltron. FML

@RareFan completely agree.

@clod ugh, I’m totally gonna be that guy. But you are describing Good Omens, the Amazon Prime adaptation of the Pratchet/Gaiman book. I can’t tell if this was some elegant trolling on your part or head-strong obstinance at using information tools at your fingertips.

Anyway, I always look forward to more family oriented fare to watch with my kids. So this could be fun. But given Netflix’s track record with anime adaptation into live action- I’m a tad worried.

I for one would be interested to see where this goes. If it sucks, oh well. But a live action series not about Ash? Sounds good to me

Maybe Netflix could get all the anime or at least the first few years up first

Pokemon is animals fighting with each other. Anime gets away with it cause its not realistic and they only "faint". I would prefer a more mature re-imagining but anime style.

Netflix has ruined every classic IP they’ve touched. If this goes forward, Pokémon is doomed.

@Xeacons Is that so? Setting aside the fact that Netflix itself doesn't really produce anything, I'd say that Transformers is far from ruined despite the mediocre WfC Series and Godzilla S. P. is easily the best anime the franchise ever had. But I guess Pokemon has to be a pretty weak IP if Netflix will ruin it just like that.

I only trust Uwe Boll for video game adaptations

It will probably be cancelled as it leaked like the Zelda series...

Whilst I won't pretend Detective Pikachu was a masterpiece story-wise, the world building was incredible. It really felt like this is how living with Pokemon would be. Not just special fx wise, but also the general nature of living with them. Psyduck being a walking bomb that needs constant stress relief, Lickitung's affectionate but super gross licking of people, the fact that nobody like Ditto because the reality of a Ditto is creepy as! If they can nail that in this series, anything else is just icing on the cake.

Why???????? I can't understand why people like this. I can't see the appeal of live action humans alongside such obviously fake CG.

Well, fine. I don't have to like it. Pass.

@PortuGuy Could be, name sounds vaguely familiar. Not sure how many times I gotta say "I don't care" until people realize I really don't care. No offense intended either, just all these fantasy shows blur into one-another and I truly do not care. So no, nobody is trolling, just trying to stay on topic and I guess kicked a beehive. Eh.

@RareFan MOTU Revelation is only a flop critically

Nope. I feel nothing. I do not trust Netflix to make good content.
None of their super popular home grown shows have ever appealed to me, let alone when they get their hands on a property.

Still waiting on Netflix Sword Art Online Live-Action Series, because there is no new news since 2018.

Please no. Stop. Please.

What happened with Legendary pictures having the Pokémon licence? Detective Pikachu did well so it's weird that they may not have it now and the rights moved to Netflix.