Ryan Reynolds has been at the top of the A-list lately, but one of his earlier films failed to spawn a sequel despite grossing hundreds of millions at the box office. Detective Pikachu. Reynolds has been a rising star in Hollywood for decades, but it wasn’t until the 2000s and 2010s that the actor became a household name. When his celebrity status peaked, he appeared everywhere, from cameo appearances on shows like Family manto the appearance in the Korean version of The Masked Singer.

At this point in his career, he also starred in numerous high-profile projects, including a leading role in the Detective Pikachu Film. That was a big deal because Pokémon is considered the highest-grossing media franchise in the worldwith video games selling millions of copies, movies, TV shows, a trading card game and countless other merchandise associated with the brand. Given the enormous weight behind the intellectual property, Reynolds’ role in Detective Pikachu was widely seen as the beginning of what would become a larger franchise, but now it looks like the franchise is dead for good.

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All Pokémon in Detective Pikachu

Detective Pikachu is packed with Pokémon of all types, especially from the first generation, from Detective Pikachu to Mewtwo.

Ryan Reynolds’ Detective Pikachu had the potential to become a franchise

It could have set an entire Pokéverse in motion

Detective Pikachu was not the first Pokémon movie to be made or even released in theaters worldwide. The IP has been adapted many times into home video, feature film, and theatrical release. Detective Pikachu seemed to be a significant step in a new direction for the Pokémon company. Before 2019, Pokémon films were only available as animated films. Detective Pikachu broke with conventional conventions and delivered a live-action story with hyper-realistic Pokémon creatures.

In addition, a story was built that was suitable for expansion. In fact, the studio involved in the development of the film had already Detective Pikachu announced that a sequel was already in the works. In the months and years that followed, writers and directors’ names were mentioned and executives hinted that something was afoot, but there was absolutely no real movement on the sequel. Despite enthusiasm for the project, a talented cast, and plans to expand the franchise, something stopped the sequel in its tracks.

Detective Pikachu was not a big success (but not a flop either)

It achieved a respectable box office success

It’s worth considering the investment in making the film, the heavy use of CGI to bring Pokémon to life, and the financial outlay to recruit talent like Reynolds for the film. The film had a total production budget of approximately $150 million (via The numbers) and finally achieved gross sales of almost 430 million US dollarsEven when you factor in a hugely expensive marketing budget equal to the film’s production, that number is only $300 million, meaning the studios and everyone involved probably got a decent payout.

While it is not the most profitable film of all time, compared to all the others released by the Pokémon company, it was by far the most popular (via The numbers). So it is unlikely that the film’s sales are to blame why the sequel never got out of development hell. The more likely reason for delays may be how popular actors like Reynolds have become. Reynolds has played Deadpool for over a decade and the character’s popularity has only grown since he joined the MCU, so it might be difficult for the star to return to another franchise.

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Will Detective Pikachu 2 ever be released?

The sequel has already been confirmed, but is it on hold?

Finally, the latest news about Detective Pikachu 2 seems to confirm that the film will be released at some point. However, when it will be released, who will play the lead role, and whether anyone will be interested at all are other unknowns. Aside from the rapidly rising popularity of the actors, including Justice Smith, who has appeared in more feature films, and Kathryn Newton, who has also joined the MCU as Ant-Man’s daughter Cassie, The sequel will probably look completely different.

Detective Pikachu 2 may be in development in some form, but it’s entirely possible that the sequel will look more like a reboot or a significant departure from the original. Since the first film ended with a huge reveal and the film has a very solid plot revolving around Smith’s character and his relationship with his father, played by Ryan Reynoldsif both or one of those actors don’t return, the film will have to find a new direction. And at that point, it might not feel like a sequel anymore Detective Pikachu at all.

Detective Pikachu

3.5

A loose adaptation of the video game of the same name, Detective Pikachu follows former Pokémon Trainer Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) and Detective Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds) as they investigate the mysterious disappearance of Tim’s father, Harry. Tim’s investigation leads him and Detective Pikachu to the heart of a conspiracy that threatens to shake their hometown of Ryme City – and the entire Pokémon world – to its foundations.

director

Rob Letterman

Release date

10 May 2019

Studio(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Sales Partner

Warner Bros. Pictures

Authors

Rob Letterman, Nicole Perlman

Pour

Ryan Reynolds, Suki Waterhouse, Bill Nighy, Chris Geere, Omar Chaparro, Ken Watanabe, Kadiff Kirwan, Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Rita Ora, Bernardo Santos

Duration

104 minutes

budget

150 million

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