With principal photography underway on Universal and Legendary Entertainment’s live-action Pokemon movie, Detective Pikachu, there’s some additional casting news for those of you who might not know your Squirtle Turtle from your Absol. Joining Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool), Kathryn Newton (Big Little Lies), Justice Smith (The Get Down), and Ken Watanabe (Godzilla) will be Love Actually and Their Finest star Bill Nighy.
Deadline report that he will be signing up along with Chris Geere (Waterloo Road, Modern Family), in an effort to try and catch them all in May 2019.
SEE ALSO: Filming underway on live-action Pokemon movie Detective Pikachu
Pokémon has delighted fans of all ages around the world for over two decades. With more than 300 million video games sold worldwide, 23.6 billion Pokémon TCG cards shipped to 74 countries, and an animated series spanning 20 seasons, Pokémon is one of the most successful entertainment properties in the world.
Mary Parent and Cale Boyter produce Detective Pikachu for Legendary Entertainment, while Joe Caracciolo, Jr. (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Logan) and The Pokémon Company’s Tsunekazu Ishihara serve as its executive producers. Legendary’s Alexandra Mendes co-produces.
The talented creative team includes director of photography John Mathieson (Logan, Gladiator), production designer Nigel Phelps (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Transformers: Dark of the Moon), editor Mark Sanger (Gravity, The Jungle Book), costume designer Suzie Harman (RocknRolla, The Death of Stalin). The film’s visual effects will be crafted by Moving Picture Company (The Jungle Book, Wonder Woman) and Framestore (Paddington 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2).
Universal Pictures will handle distribution of Detective Pikachu outside Japan. Toho will distribute in Japan, as it has done in its partnership with Legendary on the blockbuster monster reboot for Godzilla.
Directed by Goosebumps helmer Rob Letterman, Detective Pikachu is set for release on May 10th, 2019.
