• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • FMTV on YouTube
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Bluesky
    • Linktree
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • The Baby in the Basket
  • Death Among the Pines

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu fails to topple Warcraft as the highest-grossing video game movie of all time

July 19, 2019 by Amie Cranswick

Despite reports this week that Legendary Pictures’ Pokemon: Detective Pikachu has pushed its worldwide gross to $436 million to become the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time, it seems there’s been some miscalculations on Yahoo! Movies‘ part and the first ever live-action Pokemon movie will instead have to settle for second place.

As reported by Box Office Mojo, Detective Pikachu currently sits on $429.5 million. That leaves it some $4.2 million shy of 2016’s Warcraft, a figure that it has absolutely no chance of accruing given that it made just under $24,000 this past weekend from its six remaining international markets.

Although Warcraft tanked in North America with just $47.4 million, the Duncan Jones-directed fantasy performed well internationally, particularly in China. Detective Pikachu does hold the crown domestically though with its $143.5 million total putting it above 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider ($131.2 million).

“The story begins when ace private eye Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son Tim to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s former Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu: a hilariously wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth who is a puzzlement even to himself. Finding that they are uniquely equipped to communicate with one another, Tim and Pikachu join forces on a thrilling adventure to unravel the tangled mystery. Chasing clues together through the neon-lit streets of Ryme City—a sprawling, modern metropolis where humans and Pokémon live side by side in a hyper-realistic live-action world—they encounter a diverse cast of Pokémon characters and uncover a shocking plot that could destroy this peaceful co-existence and threaten the whole Pokémon universe.”

The first-ever live-action Pokémon movie, “POKÉMON Detective Pikachu” stars Ryan Reynolds as the titular character in the first-ever live-action movie based on the iconic face of the global Pokémon brand—one of the world’s most popular, multi-generation entertainment properties and most successful media franchises of all time. “POKÉMON Detective Pikachu” also stars Justice Smith (“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”) as Tim; Kathryn Newton (“Lady Bird,” TV’s “Big Little Lies”) as Lucy, a junior reporter following her first big story; and Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe (“Godzilla,” “The Last Samurai”) as Lt. Yoshida.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu sees Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool 2) starring in the title role alongside Justice Smith (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), Kathryn Newton (Big Little Lies), Suki Waterhouse (The Bad Batch), Ken Watanabe (Godzilla), Bill Nighy (The Limehouse Golem), Rita Ora (Fifty Shades Freed) and Chris Geere (Modern Family).

Filed Under: Gary Collinson, Movies, News Tagged With: Pokemon: Detective Pikachu

About Amie Cranswick

Amie Cranswick has been part of Flickering Myth’s editorial and management team for over a decade. She has a background in publishing and copyediting and has served as Editor-in-Chief of FlickeringMyth.com since 2023.

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

10 Essential Films From 1975

10 Must-See Horror Movies Guaranteed to Make You Squirm

Can Edgar Wright conquer America with The Running Man?

Chilling Retro Games to Play This Halloween

LEGO Star Wars at 20: The Video Game That Kickstarted a Phenomenon

The Shining at 45: The Story Behind Stanley Kubrick’s Psychological Horror Masterpiece

Forgotten Horror Movie Sequels You Never Need to See

Ten Great Comeback Performances

10 Essential 90s Noir Movies to Enjoy This Noirvember

The Most Obscure & Shocking John Waters Movies

FLICKERING MYTH FILMS

 

Top Stories:

Movie Review – Blue Moon (2025)

Movie Review – Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)

The Erotic Horror Renaissance of the 1990s: Where Cinemax Met Creature Features

8 Must-Watch World War II Horror Movies

Movie Review – Eternity (2025)

Noirvember: The Straight-to-Video Essential Selection

10 Extreme Horror Films You Won’t Forget

The Essential Hirokazu Kore-eda Films

Hazbin Hotel Season 2 Finale Review – ‘Weapons of Mass Distraction/Curtain Call’

10 Essential 21st Century Neo-Noirs for Noirvember

FLICKERING MYTH FILMS

 

FEATURED POSTS:

Six Overhated Modern Horror Movies

10 Tarantino-Esque Movies Worth Adding to Your Watch List

Films That DEMAND Multiple Viewings

Underrated Modern Horror Gems That Deserve More Love

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • FMTV on YouTube
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Bluesky
    • Linktree
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles and Opinions
  • The Baby in the Basket
  • Death Among the Pines
  • About Flickering Myth
  • Write for Flickering Myth