Netflix is developing a live-action Pokémon series, it has emerged. Joe Henderson, executive producer of Lucifer, is set to serve as showrunner on the project and has reportedly already assembled his writers' room.
This is according to an exclusive new report from Variety, which claims that the series is in the early stages of development. As such, not much is known about the plot, although the live-action nature of the show has been compared to 2019's Detective Pikachu. Whether or not that means we'll see similarly "realistic" Pokémon renders in the Netflix series remains to be seen, but I certainly hope so.
Take a look at the enduring influence of Pokémon on Twitch below:
Joe Henderson might not have jumped out as the most obvious choice to some of you, if only because Lucifer - a show about a fallen angel who basically cuts about town having lots of sex - couldn't be more different than Pokémon. A quick glance through the executive producer's IMDB page doesn't throw up a ton of family-friendly stuff, either.
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Still, that's not a bad thing at all. No doubt Henderson is aware of the huge legacy of Pokémon and has plenty of ideas to do something fresh and surprising with the franchise. We'll have to wait and see for now, however, as reps for both Netflix and Henderson have refused to comment on the new series.
Assuming Netflix's Pokémon project goes ahead, it'll be another step in the right direction for a streamer that is quietly becoming the home for video game adaptations. In addition to much of the Pokémon anime already being on the streaming service, Netflix is home to The Witcher and Castlevania, and will soon play host to a number of Ubisoft shows based on Assassin's Creed, Splinter Cell, and Far Cry.
Featured Image Credit: Netflix/Nintendo