"Goosebumps" helmer Rob Letterman has been tapped to direct the "Pokemon" live-action movie "Detective Pikachu" for Legendary. He is ready to catch 'em all.
According to Variety, the news came out after the announcement that the global entertainment company Legendary landed the rights to the "Pokemon" franchise after they were shopped around in early July. The movie deal came two weeks after the Pokemon Go app was released and became a worldwide phenomenon.
The Pokemon Go app craze led to a 25% jump in the stock of part-owner Nintendo and recently saw the pocket monsters surge back into the pop culture consciousness, Deadline reported. The augmented reality game allows players to capture, accumulate, battle, and train the Pokemon virtual creatures through their phones by passing by locations.
Pokemon was first introduced in Japan in 1996. It has sold more than 279 million video games worldwide across its various incarnations with 21.5 billion TCG (Trading Card Game) cards shipped to 74 countries, and an animated series spanning 19 seasons.
The script for "Detective Pikachu" is penned by Nicole Perlman and Alex Hirsch. The project follows a new character Detective Pikachu and new storyline in the Pokemon universe, covering a different aspect.
Legendary's distribution partner Universal Pictures will handle distribution of the live-action film "Detective Pikachu" outside of Japan as it has done with Legendary's other films for years. The Pokemon Company's long-time movie collaborator, Toho, will handle distribution in Japan, as it has similarly done in its partnership with Legendary on the iconic monster reboot for the "Godzilla" franchise.
Letterman's credits include "Goosebumps" and "Monsters Vs. Aliens," which he directed, and "Shark Tale," which he wrote and directed. He is also attached to direct the Warner Bros.' "Dungeons and Dragons" movie with "The Fault in Our Stars" star Ansel Elgort rumored to take the lead role. He is represented by WME.
Watch the video about Detective Pikachu lands director Rob Letterman:
